'I was so stupid': Apology from man who threw bottle at van der Poel
Dutch rider Mathieu van der Poel of Alpecin-Deceuninck celebrates his victory after crossing the finish line of the men's 259.20 km of the Paris–Roubaix cycling race. Francois Lo Presti/AFP/dpa
The man who threw a platic bottle in the face of eventual winner Mathieu van der Poel during Sunday's Paris-Roubaix cycling race has expressed regret about his behaviour.
"I was so stupid," Belgian paper Het Laatste Nieuws on Wednesday quoted the man as saying through his lawyer.
Advertisement
"I picked it [the bottle] up and without thinking threw it when he passed. After half a second it become clear to me how dangerous and stupid that was. I felt bad for days."
The man is also said to have apologised to van der Poel and his team in a letter.
The spectator threw the full bottle at Dutchman van der Poel some 33 kilometres before the finish. The incident was filmed by others and also visible in the TV broadcast of the race.
The suspect reported to the police later in the day.
Prosecutors in Lille have opened a probe after van der Poel's team filed a criminal complaint.
Van der Poel was not hurt but sharply condemned the incident after the race.
Advertisement
"We can't let this happen," he said. "I hope the suspect is found. He should appear in court because this was attempted manslaughter."
Van der Poel has been the targets of attacks from spectators before. Last year a woman threw a cap at his bike, he has been doused with beer and spat at.
It is believed that his long-standing rivalry with Belgian rider Wout van Aert could be a reason for the incidents.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
Elon Musk Points Finger at Trump Ally in Epstein Saga
Elon Musk has thrust MAGA firebrand Steve Bannon into the heart of the Jeffrey Epstein files scandal. The world's richest man has been fanning the flames of a MAGA revolt sparked by an FBI and Justice Department memo disputing earlier claims from Trump officials that the late child sex offender Jeffrey Epstein maintained a 'client list.' 'Bannon is in the Epstein files,' Musk wrote Tuesday, in response to a post by Trump ally Roger Stone, who noted that Bannon—a White House chief strategist during Trump's first term—regularly spent time with Epstein even after the financier's 2019 arrest on sex-trafficking charges. Bannon was revealed in 2021 by the New York Post to have conducted interviews with Epstein at his homes in Paris and New York over several months before Epstein went to jail in July 2019. While Bannon claimed he was shooting a documentary about the financier's 'depravity,' Epstein's brother Mark Epstein told Business Insider in 2021 that Bannon was trying to help his brother 'rehabilitate his reputation.' Author Michael Wolff has also said that Bannon coached Epstein during this time on how to handle the media in his book Too Famous: The Rich, the Powerful, the Wishful, the Notorious, the Damned. The former Breitbart News executive reportedly encouraged Epstein with words like: 'You're engaging, you're not threatening, you're natural, you're friendly, you don't look at all creepy, you're a sympathetic figure.' The Daily Beast has reached out to Bannon's lawyer for comment. Musk also accused Trump of being in the Epstein files during their explosive breakup in May. Trump had a longstanding relationship with Epstein starting in the late 1980s, but he says their relationship ended in the early 2000s and that he had no knowledge of Epstein's crimes. Musk later retracted the comment, saying he had gone too far. But the Tesla CEO went on the offensive again Tuesday, tapping into the frustration of Trump supporters who had hoped his return to office would expose bombshell secrets about Jeffrey Epstein and other elites. 'How can people be expected to have faith in Trump if he won't release the Epstein files?' Musk asked on X. Trump, in turn, angrily shut down Epstein questions during a cabinet meeting that proved humiliating for both him and Attorney General Pam Bondi, who was forced to walk back her February claim that an Epstein client list was 'sitting' on her desk.
Yahoo
3 hours ago
- Yahoo
French prisoner escapes in fellow inmate's bag, officials say
A man has escaped a French prison by hiding in the bag of a fellow inmate who was leaving prison after serving their sentence, officials told local media. The prison service has launched an investigation after the man escaped from Lyon-Corbas prison in south-east France on Friday, according to broadcaster BFMTV. He "took advantage of the liberation of his fellow inmate to hide himself in his luggage and get out", the prison service said in a statement to AFP news agency. French media have reported that the escaped prisoner was serving several sentences and was also under investigation in a case linked to organised crime. A judicial investigation has also been opened into possible "escape as part of an organised gang and criminal conspiracy", according to local media. Last month, the Lyon Bar Association expressed alarm about overcrowding at the Lyon-Corbas prison. As of 1 May 2025, around 1,200 people were detained in the prison, which has capacity for 678 places, BFMTV had reported. French jails have come under attack. Are violent drug gangs to blame? France reels after double prison guard killing
Yahoo
a day ago
- Yahoo
Paris mobilizes large police contingent for Club World Cup final
Paris Saint-Germain's Ousmane Dembele celebrates scoring his side's second goal during the FIFA Club World Cup semi final match between Paris Saint-Germain and Real Madrid at Metlife Stadium. Sven Hoppe/dpa Ahead of the Club World Cup final between Paris Saint-Germain and Chelsea on Sunday in the United States, the police are mobilizing 11,500 officers in the Greater Paris area to prevent possible riots. According to police chief Laurent Nuñez, the officers are being deployed in view of the match and the Bastille Day holiday on Monday, when riots have regularly occurred in the past. Advertisement He told broadcasters BFMTV that around 2,000 fireworks have already been confiscated during 300 police operations in the run-up to the match, and around a dozen people have been arrested. In Paris, police have banned the setting up of a fan zone and large live broadcasts of the final. Gatherings of people on the Champs-Élysées avenue have also been banned, and Place de l'Étoile and Place de la Concorde will be completely closed to cars and pedestrians on the evening of the match. This is also due to the preparations already made for the military parade on Monday morning for Bastille Day. The robust police presence and the extensive, strict restrictions are mainly due to the riots and excesses following PSG's Champions League triumph in June. There were 563 arrests nationwide, 491 of them in Paris, where properties were damaged and shops were looted.
