Man who hurled bottle at van der Poel ‘had too much to drink’

A Belgian man has apologised for throwing a plastic bottle at cyclist Mathieu van der Poel during the Paris-Roubaix race, commenting he had “drunk a lot”.

The 28-year-old, from Waregem, Belgium, expressed remorse in an email to Flemish newspaper Het Nieuwsblad, calling his actions "stupid and dangerous".

He explained that he picked up a discarded water bottle and impulsively threw it as Van der Poel rode past.

"A water bottle was in the grass. I picked it up and threw it when he passed. Without thinking. Half a second later, I realised how stupid and dangerous it was.

The man, who admitted to having "drunk a lot" that day, said the incident left him feeling ashamed.

He apologised to Van der Poel, his fellow competitors, and cycling fans. He also expressed relief that Van der Poel went on to win the race, despite the disruption.

Dutch Alpecin-Deceuninck rider Van der Poel was struck in the face by the bottle while riding solo at high speed over a cobbled section with 33km remaining.

Despite the blow, he went on to win the race for the third consecutive year.

French prosecutors opened an investigation into "violence with a weapon" shortly after the incident. The Lille public prosecutor, Carole Etienne, confirmed authorities were working to identify and arrest the suspect on Tuesday.

The International Cycling Union (UCI) labelled the act "unacceptable behaviour".

"Such behaviour cannot be tolerated in the context of a cycling event," the UCI said in a statement. "We express our support for the rider and will explore all legal avenues to ensure such actions are duly and severely punished."

Van der Poel himself called the act dangerous and urged tougher consequences for spectators who threaten rider safety.

"It's not normal," he told reporters. "It was a full bottle... It was like a stone hitting my face. This is really something we have to take legal action against."

His team confirmed plans to file a formal complaint, describing the incident as part of a broader pattern of dangerous fan behaviour often linked to excessive alcohol consumption.

"It jeopardises the safety of our riders, overshadows the enjoyment and reputation of genuine cycling enthusiasts, and diverts attention from the sporting achievements," the team said.