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James Moultrie

'People who behave like that are not welcome' – Van Aert and Pogačar show solidarity with Mathieu van der Poel after bidon-throwing incident

OUDENAARDE, BELGIUM - APRIL 06 : pictured during the 109th edition of the Ronde van Vlaanderen, an UCI World Tour cycling race for Men Elite with start in Bruges and finish in Oudenaarde after 268,9 km on April 6, 2025 in Oudenaarde, Belgium, 06/04/2025 ( Motor drive Guy De Vuyst - Photo by Jan De Meuleneir / Photonews.

Wout van Aert (Visma-Lease a Bike) and Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) have expressed solidarity with Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin-Deceuninck) in pursuit of greater rider safety at races after the Dutchman was struck in the face by a bidon thrown by a spectator at Paris-Roubaix.

The incident occurred 33km from the finish as Van der Poel rode solo to victory ahead of Pogačar after the world champion crashed out of contention for the win. The Dutchman was seen recoiling from the impact on the TV broadcast, describing it as "like a stone hitting my face" and "attempted manslaughter".

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