A Belgian man admitted to throwing a water bottle at Dutch cyclist Mathieu van der Poel's head during a race, leading to an investigation for potential violence with a weapon charge. The 28-year-old man apologized, attributing his actions to being intoxicated. Van der Poel, although unharmed, likened the impact to being hit by a stone and called for legal consequences. This incident is part of a series of aggressive encounters the cyclist has faced from fans, including being spat on and having beer thrown at him during races. Despite these challenges, van der Poel remains a prominent figure in the cycling world, currently ranking third in the individual world cyclist standings.