Person who spat on Van der Poel during race fined

The personification who spat connected cyclist Mathieu van der Poel during past month's E3 Saxo Bank Classic has been identified and fined, according to Belgian police.

Dutch rider Van der Poel, who won nan title connected 28 March, was spat connected successful nan East Flanders metropolis of Ronse while starring solo pinch astir 30km remaining.

The East Flanders nationalist prosecutor's agency confirmed to BBC Sport a study from AFP that Ronse constabulary had identified nan culprit, who admitted spitting connected Van der Poel.

Ronse constabulary told AFP nan individual will person to salary a good of up to £300 (350 euros) but nan lawsuit will not beryllium taken immoderate further.

In a abstracted incident, Alpecin-Deceuninck rider Van der Poel was struck by a h2o vessel while besides successful nan lead unsocial astatine Paris-Roubaix connected Sunday, earlier going connected to triumph nan title for a record-equalling 3rd clip successful a row.

A man handed himself successful to a West Flanders constabulary position connected Monday and nan nationalist charismatic is deciding what action to take.

Van der Poel, 30, has been progressive successful respective incidents involving spectators successful caller years.

In December 2023, he spat astatine immoderate spectators during a cyclocross title successful nan Netherlands, saying he had had capable of being booed and having liquid thrown astatine him.

The pursuing April, he had brew thrown astatine him during nan Tour of Flanders.