Mathieu van der Poel: Danger from fan hostility in the big classics

The Tour of Flanders and Paris-Roubaix are regarded as absolute crowd-pullers. Fans often stand very close to the road on the circuits in Flanders and in the pavé sectors of northern France and cheer on the riders, literally shouting them forward. However, for riders like Van der Poel, who is often travelling solo or in small groups in decisive phases of the race, this also means something else. Where fans are so close to the track, there is also the danger of hostility. The past has shown that this does not stop at verbal derailments.

The Roubaix 2025 incident runs deep

At Paris-Roubaix 2025, Van der Poel was hit with a full water bottle by a spectator in the final - an incident that was discussed worldwide because it could easily have led to a serious crash at race speed. The perpetrator handed himself in to the police afterwards, but the uneasy feeling remains. This is a warning signal for the coming weeks: Roubaix is not only the "Hell of the North" in sporting terms, but is also particularly susceptible to copycats and "attention-seekers" due to the extreme conditions and the proximity of the crowd.

Also in Flanders: Recurring border crossings

The problem is not limited to Roubaix. There have also been recent images at Belgian races that show how quickly fans cross boundaries - such as when Van der Poel blew vape smoke in the face of a spectator after a cyclocross race in December 2025. Such scenes fuel the concern that the heated atmosphere of the "Flanders Week" surrounding the Ronde will also become a breeding ground for disturbances - especially as Van der Poel is one of the big favourites there.

What counts now - for organisers and fans

The decisive factor for the Ronde and Roubaix will be that:

• Hotspots (bottlenecks, crests, exits from cobblestone sectors) are consistently secured
• Incidents are quickly prosecuted and sanctioned
• and the fan culture remains clear: Cheer yes, intervene no

It will not be possible to prevent such attacks in the classics this year either. Therefore, awareness should also be raised among spectators. Anyone who witnesses such an attack should not hesitate to report it to the police. The hope remains, however, that after the increased number of incidents last year, the focus will be on sport.