“It’s certainly better than having beer thrown in my face” – Mathieu van der Poel blows off vape smoke controversy during X2O Trofee in Hofstade

Mathieu van der Poel brushed aside an unsavoury crowd incident during his dominant victory at the X2O Trofee in Hofstade, after a spectator blew vape smoke directly into his face as he passed the barriers late in the race.

The incident occurred in the penultimate lap, with Van der Poel briefly slowing ahead of a corner when a member of the crowd leaned over and exhaled a cloud of vapour towards the world champion. The Dutchman reacted with little more than a shake of the head before continuing on his way, going on to secure another emphatic win.

Asked about the moment afterwards, Van der Poel showed little interest in escalating the situation. “I don’t know if it was intentional. Maybe that man didn’t see me coming. In any case, I didn’t taste his vape,” he said in quotes collected by HLN.

The episode came just a day after Van der Poel had also referenced crowd behaviour at the World Cup in Koksijde, where he encountered a strong smell of cannabis along part of the course. Even then, he played down the disruption. “On Sunday in Koksijde there was a very clear smell of weed on one section… I wasn’t really bothered by it and it’s certainly better than having beer thrown in my face. Above all, I remember that there was also a lot of positive support from the crowd.”

Despite the distraction, the rider from Alpecin-Deceuninck appeared unaffected on the bike, once again asserting his authority over the field on the sandy Hofstade circuit. His reaction afterwards suggested the incident barely registered amid another commanding performance.

The moment does, however, add to a growing list of crowd-related issues involving Van der Poel during recent cyclocross winters, where his presence has consistently drawn increased attention and heightened atmospheres at races.

Organisers have not indicated any immediate follow up action, while Van der Poel himself made clear his focus remained firmly on the racing rather than the behaviour of one individual spectator.

As he crossed the line in Hofstade, the incident was already behind him, reduced to little more than an aside on a day where the sporting outcome was never in doubt.