In the past, riders such as Bart Wellens, Richard Groenendaal and Sven Nys have had spats with fans who criticize and boo them throughout races. This Saturday it was Mathieu van der Poel who was involved in one, spitting on a fan who also reportedly threw beer and urine to him. Adrie van der Poel asks that that the audience control their behaviour to prevent such situations.
"It indicates the level of people we are dealing with here. Look, it's simple. If you don't have the discipline to stop after two beers, stay home. And watch the race from the comfort of your own home," the father of Mathieu van der Poel said in an interview with Het Laatste Nieuws. “Personally, I have never been confronted with it. But over the years the phenomenon has apparently reared its head more and more.”
Specially in recent years, the rivalry between Mathieu van der Poel and Wout van Aert sparked more and more sharp opinions from fans. Being the main figures of the Netherlands and Belgium respectively, national interests also rise to the head of some spectators, who quite audibly boo one of the riders - although the Dutchman has been a bigger victim of this. Unfortunately, throwing beer or urine is also not an isolated case in cycling, as some spectators take advantage of the proximity they have with riders.
“When you see how Tom [Pidcock] and Wout [van Aert] continue to fight here after their bad luck... In the same way, they say: Fuck, just look at it. But no, they give the best of themselves. Then you have to respect that, I think," Adrie argues.
Hulst was one of those very rare races with 🇳🇱 Mathieu van der Poel, 🇧🇪 Wout van Aert and 🇬🇧 Tom Pidcock and only 1 on the podium. Had been a while. - Hulst 2023 - Hoogerheide 2020, season after Wout's leg injury - Diegem 2018 - Lokeren 2018, twisted ankle MVDP (won by Soete)
