The vape attack on Mathieu van der Poel in Hofstade once again caused a stir. Professor Jeroen Scheerder explains why he believes this incident differs from previous incidents.
Image and reason
Van der Poel was again confronted with inappropriate behavior along the course. Scheerder emphasizes that the rider himself did not give any reason. Yet the professor sees three reasons why this happens. You can read why this is the case here.
He refers to sports where provocations are part of the game, but states that this was not the case here. “I didn’t see Van der Poel make any gesture towards Van Aert or Nys on Monday, let alone laugh at them or anything,” Het Nieuwsblad reported.
According to him, the world champion behaved as expected of a top athlete. “His behavior was as you would expect from a top player.” Scheerder notes that the incident in Hofstade had a different character than previous cases. “It did not happen incognito in Hofstade, which is a big difference from previous incidents.”
Miss out
He points out that the perpetrator acted visibly and purposefully, with someone ready to take images. Although Van der Poel did not suffer any sporting disadvantages, Scheerder warns of possible escalation.
Read also… No duel with Van Aert: Van der Poel declares forfeit for Dendermonde›
“You cannot rule out that things will really go wrong at some point.” He concludes that the evolution is worrying. “I don’t know where it’s going to end, but it’s definitely not going in the right direction.”
