Mathieu van der Poel has once again found himself at the center of unwanted fan interference. The Dutch world champion was involved in another close call during the X2O Trofee Loenhout-Azencross in Belgium on Monday. A spectator reached over the barriers and made contact with his bike while he was racing. The incident nearly caused a crash and added to a growing list of troubling moments involving fans around the star rider.Despite the scare, van der Poel stayed calm and showed his class. He recovered quickly, handled early race problems, and still managed to dominate the event. His victory marked his sixth cyclo-cross win of the season. While the rider downplayed the incident, race officials and police took it seriously and stepped in soon after the race ended.
Another spectator incident tests Mathieu van der Poel’s composure
The incident happened on the first of eight laps. Mathieu van der Poel was leading a small group when a spectator’s arm came over the blue fencing and touched his handlebars. The course was slippery, and the sudden contact made him wobble. For a few seconds, a crash looked possible. However, the world champion managed to stay upright and continue without losing his lead.After the race, van der Poel said he was lucky to stay on his bike. He explained that he had not yet seen the video but did not feel the action was done on purpose. He added that excited fans sometimes forget riders are coming past, and moments like this can happen. Still, whether the contact was accidental or intentional remains unclear.The situation was made worse by a gear problem van der Poel faced at the start of the race. Even with these issues, he stayed focused and pulled away from the field to secure a comfortable win.Race organizers reviewed the footage several times and identified the spectator. Police questioned the individual shortly after. Both Golazo and the UCI submitted official complaints. The spectator later said he felt terrible, had no issues with van der Poel, and never meant to cause harm. He explained his love for cyclo-cross and said he wanted to apologize again. Golazo later confirmed that no charges would be filed.This was not the first time van der Poel faced such chaos. In December at Hofstade, vape smoke was blown into his face during a race. Earlier, at Paris-Roubaix, a full water bottle was thrown at him, an incident he described as extremely dangerous. He has also been spat at and had liquids thrown at him in past races.Also Read: Watch: Cyclist Mathieu van der Poel shows his racing class, wins in Hofstade despite vape smoking incident by a spectator near finish