Watch: Cyclist Mathieu van der Poel shows his racing class, wins in Hofstade despite vape smoking incident by a spectator near finish

Mathieu van der Poel once again showed his mental strength and racing class in Belgium. The reigning world champion won the X2O Badkamers Trofee race in Hofstade. It was his fourth victory in four cyclo-cross races since returning this season. The event marked the fourth round of the series, which had returned after a 17-year break and attracted a large crowd.

The race ended with controversy. As Van der Poel charged toward the finish line on the final lap, a spectator leaned over the barriers and blew vape smoke directly into his face. For a brief moment, Van der Poel turned his head. He then looked forward again and kept riding. Wearing his racing glasses, he appeared calm and crossed the line first despite the distraction.

Mathieu van der Poel foils the crowd’s attempts to distract him in Belgium

Even with the interruption, Mathieu van der Poel finished 48 seconds ahead of Wout van Aert. Niels Vandeputte took third place. After the race, Van der Poel spoke about what happened near the finish line.

“Yes, I felt it. That was right after the finish, wasn’t it? I don’t know if it was intentional, because I didn’t see,” he told reporters.

Christoph Roodhooft, the team manager of Wout van Aert, also commented on the situation. He said, “I didn’t see it, but those are silly things. I don’t really want to say anything more about it. Isn’t reacting to something so stupid just plain stupid? It’s simply inappropriate and improper… It’s a shame that something so small gets so much attention. All the riders were very positive; this is a fantastic course… That’s much more important to take home than an action like this.”

Unfortunately, this was not an isolated incident for Van der Poel. In recent years, he has faced repeated crowd interference. Spectators have thrown beer and allegedly urine at him during cyclo-cross and road races. At Paris-Roubaix in April 2025, a spectator threw a full water bottle into his face. He was also spat at during the E3 Saxo Classic and had a cap thrown into his wheels at the 2024 Paris-Roubaix.

After the Hofstade race, Van der Poel downplayed the vape smoke incident.

“I saw it too, but I don’t know if it was on purpose. It didn’t really bother me. In any case, it’s better than beer,” he said.

However, he has not always stayed calm. At the 2023 Cyclo-Cross World Cup in Hulst, he reacted after repeated abuse. Riders and officials have started to call for stronger action to stop dangerous fan behavior.

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