French justice officials have begun an investigation after Mathieu van der Poel was struck in the face by a thrown plastic bottle during his third consecutive Paris-Roubaix victory. The incident occurred while he was competing at high speed, prompting an outcry for legal action against such spectator violence. The perpetrator has reportedly surrendered to police, and cycling's governing body, the UCI, has condemned the act as unacceptable, emphasizing their commitment to ensuring the safety of cyclists during events.
This is just not acceptable. If they spit or throw beer, it's also unacceptable but that's a different story. This is really something we have to take legal action against.
We can confirm that the man presented himself to the police. An official report was drawn up, in which his statement was recorded.
Such behaviour cannot be tolerated in the context of a cycling event. The UCI and representatives of cycling's families express their support for the rider.
It was a full bottle, it's maybe half a kilogram and I rode 50kph, it was like a stone hitting my face.
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