Thursday, December 28, 2023 at 9:15 AM
Felipe Nystrom was inconsolable last Tuesday after the Gavere World Cup. The 40-year-old Costa Rican is a true cult hero in the field because of his special life story, but was left in ruins after he – unintentionally – hindered Mathieu van der Poel during the cross in Gavere.
Nystrom put on the sackcloth and went deep into the dust. “I feel terrible. It was 1,000% my fault what happened there. Mathieu had to push me – it should have been even harder. I was in the way and I feel really bad about it. I’m concerned that Mathieu may receive hate mail. “I wish I could look Mathieu in the eye and say how sorry I am,” he told Sporza – deeply upset.
The Costa Rican even announced his retirement after this incident, but Mathieu van der Poel already stood up for Nystrom. “I know Felipe Nystrom’s story and have sympathy for him,” the world champion told Sporza. “I wasn’t mad at him either. Felipe has made an error in judgment and that can happen. Everyone makes a mistake sometimes. He should certainly not give up his dream for that. I hope he stays here and continues to complete his planned program.”
“Above all, it proves what a nice person the world champion is”
The fact that Van der Poel is now supporting him clearly means a lot to Nystrom. “I find it incredible that Mathieu Van der Poel forgives me. Amazing,” writes Het Nieuwsblad from his mouth. “Above all, it proves what a nice person the world champion is. After the cross I tried to apologize to him. In vain. Although I still hope to apologize to him personally.”
“I assume there are other people mad at me. Or deeply disappointed. I’ve made countless mistakes in my life. Gavere was another big one. Although I know better than anyone that it doesn’t matter how many mistakes you make in life. The trick is to get up again and again after a low point.”
2023-12-28 08:15:00
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