VIDEO: Mathieu van der Poel spits at fan in the crowd in shocking scenes at Hulst World Cup
Cyclocross
Despite easing to yet another victory this winter at the latest round of UCI World Cup action in Hulst, Mathieu van der Poel blemished his performance somewhat by seemingly spitting at a fan in the crowd on the last lap.
With the victory in the bag, the world champion was able to ease towards the finish line in Hulst. As he rounded one of the corners on the final lap however, van der Poel pulled over to the side of the course, near the fans and targeted a certain individual with some well-aimed spit.
According to his immediate comments post-race, this particular section of fans had been booing and abusing him throughout the day.
Check out the shocking scenes for yourself in the video below!
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Honestly, spitting at the crowd is not smartest thing to do, though. That is not the best way to set an example of properly behaved atheletes in the next generations of atheletes to come! This is very immature imo
I understand how despicable some fans behaviors and actions towards riders can be, but Matthieu's response to them was incredibly unprofessional and completely uncalled for. I suspect that some sort of UCI response will surely follow.
Poor behaviour on two peoples part. You gotta be bigger than that Matthew but fans like this yelling oddities. I wouldn’t want my kids next to them. Why at a sporting event. Can you yell obscenities at someone that doesn’t make it right either.
UCI will punish him for bringing the game into disrepute. Considering that this is not his first offence
Ah... Guess I'm not the only one to be concern of this ill-behaviour😅. Spitting a fan in the middle of any race, is a big no no. Especially if you are big name cyclist like MDVD
Its not proportional, if speech is met by speech, it might be ok
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leedorney07-04-2025 - You have to keep all else held equal or you're not isolating the change. A lighter rider is faster at everything, save downhills, all else held equal, as I keep showing. As for wind, just as in flat TTs weight basically doesn't matter, except that lighter equals slightly less rolling resistance. In the same manner, for a 30 kph headwind, weight doesn't matter, as the relevant equation is power vs CdA. The reason why more weight is helpful downhill is the same reason it's hurtful uphill, it "gives back" the energy (not speed) you gained by going up the hill. Lastly, in a sprint, weight is again counterproductive, assuming one has to accelerate up to speed. Accelerating a mass takes energy, and a heavier one takes more energy than a lighter one. Now, at most sprint speeds, almost all energy goes into wind resistance, but the acceleration of mass still does play a part.acem8207-04-2025
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- To me it seemed like an attempt to get through the climb closer to the front, since his burst power was lacking. If he starts earlier he can take the hill slower and still not be too far behind by the top. It kept him in that group of 4, where he might have been dropped had they all stayed together to the bottom of the climb. Who knows, though. I’m just guessing.RidesHills06-04-2025
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- Yes but what was the dumb effort by Van Aert to drop Pogacar, Vanderpoel and Pederson about.? Just showing face? If he had stayed on the wheels and not wasted energy, he might have got on the podium in the runners up sprint.Cyclingsbestfan06-04-2025