Mathieu van der Poel on Loenhout incident: "I believe it was not with bad intentions"

Mathieu van der Poel was again the strongest cyclocross rider in Loenhout, but afterward, the focus was mainly on an incident in the opening phase. Van der Poel escaped unharmed in the first lap of the X2O-cross after an encounter with a spectator. "But I think that man was just cheering," Van der Poel explained about the moment afterward.

Van der Poel came through the opening lap of the X2O-cross in Loenhout unscathed after a strange moment involving a spectator. The world champion seemed to be touched by the supporter’s hand, causing him to nearly lose his balance.

The Dutchman hadn’t yet seen the footage at the time he was asked about the incident, but the leader of Alpecin-Deceuninck doesn’t believe there was any ill intent. "I think the man was just cheering," he said afterward in the flash interview with Sporza.

🚵🇧🇪 | What happened there? Mathieu van der Poel seems to be hit by the hand of a spectator? However, it’s unclear if this was intentional. 🤔

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"I was pretty lucky. I barely managed to stay upright, and that was on a section where it was really fast. I just don’t feel it was an action with bad intentions. Like often happens, spectators are incredibly enthusiastic, but sometimes forget that riders are coming through. You also need a bit of luck with these situations. If someone hits your handlebars, anything can happen."

The spectator has since been taken by the police for questioning. A complaint has also been filed against the man, Golazo director Christophe Impens told Sporza afterward.

About the cyclocross
We almost forgot, but after the little incident in the opening lap, Van der Poel soloed to his sixth win of the season, after his major rival Wout van Aert dropped out due to a flat tire. "I didn’t realize it immediately – there was so much noise and I couldn’t always look back – but eventually I noticed it. I suddenly saw a big gap. That’s unfortunate."