A spectator who threw a bottle at Mathieu van der Poel during the Paris-Roubaix race has turned himself in to Belgian police. Van der Poel, unfazed by the incident, likened it to "attempted manslaughter" and expressed intent to press charges through his team. The incident is part of a pattern of targeted hostility towards the cyclist, including being spat at and doused with beer in previous races.
The UCI, along with cycling unions, strongly condemned the spectator's behavior and vowed to pursue legal consequences to safeguard riders' physical safety. Van der Poel's victory at Paris-Roubaix marked his third consecutive win, making him only the third cyclist in history to achieve this feat. Previous incidents of harassment towards him have prompted investigations and calls for better spectator behavior in cycling events.