Teams & Riders The "MVP" Mathieu Van der Poel Road Discussion Thread

[joe_papp]

Just disgusting the unwillingness of the father "John" to acknowledge unambiguously what a brat his daughter is (and by extension, what a terrible parent he is).

The newspaper interviewed the other father, identified only as “John,” who said people are accusing him of being a bad father.

“If I assaulted children, I’d be locked up in jail for a year because I can’t afford bail,” the father told The Daily Mail Australia. “Child abuse is a big thing.”

The father also told the paper his daughter has been “having nightmares” about the incident that saw Van der Poel detained by police and only released at 4 a.m. just hours before he started and then quickly abandoned the elite men’s road race.

“We went to the hospital on Sunday and I’m taking her to the psychologist because she’s scared,” the father told The Daily Mail Australia. “She’s worried she’s in trouble and has done something wrong because some people are blaming her and me, saying it was the girls’ fault and I’m a bad parent, but it was the school holidays. What kids at that age are going to bed at nine o’clock?”

https://www.velonews.com/news/road/father-in-hotel-incident-with-mathieu-van-der-poel-says-rider-went-too-far/

 

[senna6541]

Just disgusting the unwillingness of the father "John" to acknowledge unambiguously what a brat his daughter is (and by extension, what a terrible parent he is).

1. She has done something wrong - and moreover potentially very dangerous in this day and age.
2. She should be worried about being in trouble.
3. She is at fault for her own horrible behavior.
4. He is a horrible parent, and so is his wife - based on their behavior before, during and even more so after this episode.
5. Most teens aren't in bed at 9pm on "holiday", but they also aren't harassing strangers in a hotel. I have a 14 year-old daughter and I promise you under zero circumstances is she behaving like this towards others, and putting herself at risk of running into truly dangerous people.

 

[SHAD0W93]

Most teens aren't in bed at 9pm on "holiday", but they also aren't harassing strangers in a hotel. I have a 14 year-old daughter and I promise you under zero circumstances is she behaving like this towards others, and putting herself at risk of running into truly dangerous people.

I asked my mom what she would have done or thought if my brother and I did this at that age and she said we’d have deserved it since my parents taught us better.

 

[joe_papp]

...Most teens aren't in bed at 9pm on "holiday", but they also aren't harassing strangers in a hotel. I have a 14 year-old daughter and I promise you under zero circumstances is she behaving like this towards others, and putting herself at risk of running into truly dangerous people.

Well said, Sir.

I asked my mom what she would have done or thought if my brother and I did this at that age and she said we’d have deserved it since my parents taught us better.

Dude if my brother or I got caught doing this, our dad would've (rightfully) rekd us.

He wouldn't be defending our actions in the press and angling to file a civil suit against some guy whose race we'd helped ruin.

 

[Cookster15]

Just disgusting the unwillingness of the father "John" to acknowledge unambiguously what a brat his daughter is (and by extension, what a terrible parent he is).

This guy should admit up front his daughters should not have been outside at that time of the night. But let’s think, if they are doing this at that time what does it say about his parental supervision? Not much.

MVDP should not have physically touched them and instead reported them but it is unfair he is the only one charged by police. Not only the fine but the fact it destroyed his professional reason for even visiting Australia.

 

[joe_papp]

MVDP should not have physically touched them and instead reported them but it is unfair he is the only one charged by police. Not only the fine but the fact it destroyed his professional reason for even visiting Australia.

This is the annoying part, that out of a fear of criminal (or even just civil) liability, MVDP should have to seek the intervention of the already-shown-to-be-ineffective hotel security staff, rather than handling his own business.

I'm not suggesting he be able to assault (or even batter) teen girls, but at the same time, terrorizing them into going away on the even of the WC RR seems reasonable. Of course, once it got to the point where he had to open the door, his race was already (potentially) compromised.

 

[SHAD0W93]

I mean I also think it’s crazy that the mom is alleged quoted as saying MVDP is fleeing the country. Like; he isn’t Australian, only came to the country for one thing, and already had his expensive flight book (which refunding or booking could have been an insane hassle). MVDP went to court, did his thing with the lawyer, and got his convection. He’s allowed to leave now and do what he wants. If the Australian police want to arrest him, whatever country he’s in will get the expedition process going.

 

[Pirazziattacks]

Personally I think going on about the need to punish kids and/or parents because a high profile cyclist was affected should give a few on here pause to consider whether they're in any position to be talking about how others (much less minors) should be behaving. I'm a lot more concerned about what people with mindsets such as those on display in this thread do when given access to power than what annoying teens or permissive parents do.

 

[Pirazziattacks]

I mean I also think it’s crazy that the mom is alleged quoted as saying MVDP is fleeing the country. Like; he isn’t Australian, only came to the country for one thing, and already had his expensive flight book (which refunding or booking could have been an insane hassle). MVDP went to court, did his thing with the lawyer, and got his convection. He’s allowed to leave now and do what he wants. If the Australian police want to arrest him, whatever country he’s in will get the expedition process going.

I also think it's crazy that reporting in the awful australian tabloid press has further sensationalised the whole thing and been amplified by equivalent outlets in the Netherlands and UK. Who could've predicted this? Ok it was me, I did predict this about 50 pages ago.

 

[Aimar16]

Australians are like the freak children of the British and Americans. Not the best combination.

 

[Bolder]

Ofc the parents/kids are at fault for setting this off.

But the larger point: You are a public figure. You need to be aware that your conduct is under scrutiny at all times.

We can rail at these kids -- and that's what they are, kids -- and their lousy parents but MvDP failed here, too, by flying off the handle. Has anyone here ever had teenagers? They are NOT adults, they don't understand very much about consequences; their brains are not yet equipped that way.

 

[Elos Anjos]

Personally I think going on about the need to punish kids and/or parents because a high profile cyclist was affected should give a few on here pause to consider whether they're in any position to be talking about how others (much less minors) should be behaving. I'm a lot more concerned about what people with mindsets such as those on display in this thread do when given access to power than what annoying teens or permissive parents do.

I'm a lot more concerned that the kind of behavior displayed by these kids and parents is what power is all about today: entitlement, playing with the media ("now people are saying I'm a bad parent"), victim card, exaggeration of what is the case, self-desresponsibility.

 

[OlavEH]

I'm a lot more concerned about what people with mindsets such as those on display in this thread do when given access to power than what annoying teens or permissive parents do.

The mindset of these parents are the last kind of people that should have access to any kind of power. They are not mature enough to have raised their kids in a good way, are completely hysterical and goes balistic when something like this happens and assumes absolutely no responsibility and apparently does nothing to de-escalate the situation, only blow things even more out of proportions.

 

[OlavEH]

Has anyone here ever had teenagers? They are NOT adults, they don't understand very much about consequences; their brains are not yet equipped that way.

But their parents are adults (at least physically). They could have helped. If they were of a more calm and balanced type of people, we may never have heard about this situation at all. They could have solved things by talking to MvdP and settled things among themselves instead of escalating the situations as much as possible.

 

[Tinnekeisabella]

Just disgusting the unwillingness of the father "John" to acknowledge unambiguously what a brat his daughter is (and by extension, what a terrible parent he is).

Child abuse? Come on, be serious here. He should not have followed them to their room but they were not that little either id f you see the clip. They knew they were annoying other hotel guests and they kept doing it for hours…

 

[Pirazziattacks]

The mindset of these parents are the last kind of people that should have access to any kind of power. They are not mature enough to have raised their kids in a good way, are completely hysterical and goes balistic when something like this happens and assumes absolutely no responsibility and apparently does nothing to de-escalate the situation, only blow things even more out of proportions.

We're talking about a country where calls to crack down on misbehaving kids and their parents invariably result in more Indigenous children being jailed, just to provide some context.

I don't know anything about the family question, and I don't want to either. Making them the focus is an obvious distraction for juvenile stans and other deranged fans who clearly can't get their heads around the fact that high profile professional athletes aren't always the best people.

 

[noob]

I'm fascinated about how everyone are so convinced about character of kids and parents as repeat offenders where I doubt it's the first or last time MvdP loses it.

I also think he's far from alone in doing so.

The whole idea of "victims" of circumstances doesn't fly, in my book. Understanding the reason someone does what they do doesn't mean that person got a free pass.

Of course we need to shift the blame because the idea a cyclist is violent is too uncomfortable.

 

[Ricco']

I'm fascinated about how everyone are so convinced about character of kids and parents as repeat offenders where I doubt it's the first or last time MvdP loses it.

To start we don't have any concrete evidence or even rumours (that I'm aware of) of a similar situation envolving VDP (and I can't recall he displaying any burst of spontaneous anger towards other during a cycling race, I can be wrong though) as for the kids we have the older sister on record saying that it's not the first time they do something like this and that their mother/parents were fully aware of it.

 

[noob]

To start we don't have any concrete evidence or even rumours (that I'm aware of) of a similar situation envolving VDP (and I can't recall he displaying any burst of spontaneous anger towards other during a cycling race, I can be wrong though) as for the kids we have the older sister on record saying that it's not the first time they do something like this and that their mother/parents were fully aware of it.

I know. But MvdP also has had years in the spotlight to learn how to lie and hide things. He even grew up as a child to a father in the cycling omerta culture.

I am not suggesting he's an *** because of this, but he's most likely not the best at controlling his impulses.

 

[noob]

Oh and btw in my world there's not good or bad people. There's just people and actions.

 

[OlavEH]

I don't know anything about the family question, and I don't want to either. Making them the focus is an obvious distraction for juvenile stans and other deranged fans who clearly can't get their heads around the fact that high profile professional athletes aren't always the best people.

No, the parents are also a good example of a not very desirable trend in modern western countries. That is just as much an issue as VdP behaving like an idiot.

 

[noob]

Crappy year, stressed because he's in a hurry as he's getting old. Two weeks rest at home when he was injured made him very frustrated. And he knows no other world than cycling.

There's gotta be a ton of pent up frustration and pressure and there's no wonder it boils over.

That's my point. He's been on my radar for some time in regards to mental health.

Not judging, just watching with empathy.

 

[Ricco']

I know. But MvdP also has had years in the spotlight to learn how to lie and hide things. He even grew up as a child to a father in the cycling omerta culture.

I am not suggesting he's an *** because of this, but he's most likely not the best at controlling his impulses.

Yes, but no better moments to show anger than during extreme efforts on the bike for 5 or 6 hours. Not even during this TdF where he was complete *** he seemed anytime to show anger towards others. Pogacar also seems always joyful and a 'happy kid' but we had that episode with Van Baarle in the end of this year's Ronde. I don't remember anything like that with VdP.

The guy's first reaction to being beaten in a sprint with Girmay in the Giro was to applaud him, I just don't have the evidence to conclude that this surely isn't the first time it happened.

And I know he has said that during recovering earlier in the year he wasn't the best person to be with, but that also doesn't mean that he resorted to violence or to anger towards others. Accumulated frustration could also lead to apathy, overall depressing feelings and lethargy, which aren't also good things to deal with for anybody closer to him but don't necessary lead to violent actions.

 

[tobydawq]

Crappy year, stressed because he's in a hurry as he's getting old. Two weeks rest at home when he was injured made him very frustrated. And he knows no other world than cycling.

There's gotta be a ton of pent up frustration and pressure and there's no wonder it boils over.

That's my point. He's been on my radar for some time in regards to mental health.

Not judging, just watching with empathy.

Wat

 

[Panda Claws]

I also think it's crazy that reporting in the awful australian tabloid press has further sensationalised the whole thing and been amplified by equivalent outlets in the Netherlands and UK. Who could've predicted this? Ok it was me, I did predict this about 50 pages ago.

Crazy prediction man.

Stuff being sensationalised in 2022? Wow.