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

[KZD]

As a Mathieu fan, I feel disappointed and even shocked by all this but its time to let this be solved among the parts involved instead of doing quick judgements

 

[Aimar16]

What a sad thread this is. The folks here act like it's been confirmed that MvdP did something wrong.

 

[Red Rick]

What a sad thread this is. The folks here act like it's been confirmed that MvdP did something wrong.

There is no way Van der Poel enters a screaming fest with a few teens away from the team and hotel staff if he shows basic, professional behavior.

 

[42x16ss]

There is no way Van der Poel enters a screaming fest with a few teens away from the team and hotel staff if he shows basic, professional behavior.

We don't know the whole story yet, wait until Tuesday. Chances are just as likely the girls have 1/2 ar$ed parents indulging their children's behaviour trying to milk a situation with a prominent sportsman.

The pessimist in me says you're likely to be right but I want all the facts first.

 

[Jagartrott]

The Dutch federation needs to take a leaf out of the Belgian's book and book out an entire hotel for their whole federation next time

I don't know how things normally go, but isn't it utterly bizarre that professional sportsmen are mixed with ordinary tourists in hotels? At least the rooms around the riders should be 'tourist-free', no?

 

[Axel Hangleck]

Yes, the whole thing is bizarre.......and with my cynical hat on, the kids (and families) are making a mountain out of a molehill.

And it has to be said the KNWU have really dropped one here; are they short of $$$$$, and can't afford to book the whole floor? Pro sports & tourists in the same accommodation isn't normally a good idea.

 

[Aimar16]

There is no way Van der Poel enters a screaming fest with a few teens away from the team and hotel staff if he shows basic, professional behavior.

I'd rather believe that MvdP acted according to the situation and this story is just about weird people in far away lands trying to feel important

 

[Red Rick]

weird people in far away lands trying to feel important

So that's where the heroic defense comes from?

I just think it's a bit of a stretch to think police gets involved and arrests are made just because MvdP is acting accordingly in the given situation

 

[Aimar16]

So that's where the heroic defense comes from?

I just think it's a bit of a stretch to think police gets involved and arrests are made just because MvdP is acting accordingly in the given situation

Already at the beginning of the year this country wanted to be in the news for harassing a superstar athlete...

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

As a Mathieu fan, I feel disappointed and even shocked by all this but its time to let this be solved among the parts involved instead of doing quick judgements

the important part for me is he denies touching anyone himself. And the only ones withness were the girls themselves and Mathieu. No parents or anything around. So unless there is more definitive proof I tend to believe the adult more than the kids. Especially because kids will try to come up with anything when caught with wrong doing.

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

What a sad thread this is. The folks here act like it's been confirmed that MvdP did something wrong.

Welcome to 2022. Isn't this the usual?

 

[carton]

So that's where the heroic defense comes from?

I just think it's a bit of a stretch to think police gets involved and arrests are made just because MvdP is acting accordingly in the given situation

You believe in guilty until proven innocent?

Also, have you been in a hotel recently? There is very few if any staff around in most of them, even mid-end ones. Someone comes knocking at your room and the appropriate thing to do is to tell them off. You're right in that he really shouldn't have opened the door being who he is though. Never assume anyone has good intentions, particularly at 4AM.

But yeah, let's see the facts of the case before jumping to any conclusions.

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

"I went to bed early and many children in the hallway of my room found it necessary to knock on the door continuously. After a few times I was done with it. I didn't ask so nicely to stop. Then the police were called and I was taken," Van der Poel explained to Sporza. It was also reported that Van der Poel told his team manager that he did not touch the teenagers.

If he didn't actually touch them, which no one has confirmed is MvdP's story, then he really is a victim here. But we will see what comes out over the next few days, which may or may not clear anything up.

He did say it himself, in a different interview than the one on Sporza. He clarified he didn't touch anyone, he went after them but nothing more.

 

[dazaau]

He did say it himself, in a different interview than the one on Sporza. He clarified he didn't touch anyone, he went after them but nothing more.

Oh man, what a mess for mvdp

 

[Bolder]

There is no way Van der Poel enters a screaming fest with a few teens away from the team and hotel staff if he shows basic, professional behavior.

This. No matter the details, you don’t put yourself in that situation, ever.

 

[Didinho]

Hopefully he's soon out of Australia and maybe do Lombardia?
Although I think he's had enough of it. Rest and prepare for next year.

 

[Pirazziattacks]

So that's where the heroic defense comes from?

I just think it's a bit of a stretch to think police gets involved and arrests are made just because MvdP is acting accordingly in the given situation

I assume something must have happened for NSW police to bother actually arresting a white person in this scenario. At best it's a case of dipshit australian teens vs a probably highly strung Dutch person. There can only be one winner.

 

[Mayomaniac]

the important part for me is he denies touching anyone himself. And the only ones withness were the girls themselves and Mathieu. No parents or anything around. So unless there is more definitive proof I tend to believe the adult more than the kids. Especially because kids will try to come up with anything when caught with wrong doing.

That's pretty much also my take on the whole situation.

 

[ooo]

hopefully hotel have security camera in hall

 

[Bolder]

That's pretty much also my take on the whole situation.

Regardless, he screwed himself by even engaging with these kids.

I love Mvdp as a rider but honestly I'm starting to think that off the bike he's one of Horner's "knuckleheads." This is two huge events he's shot himself in the foot now, the other being the OG XC by not knowing about that obstacle. And you could also argue that riding 2 GTs on a lark this year was worse than pointless, but actually detrimental.

An in-shape, mentally focused MvDP wins today, or at least is able to make a final attack a la Lutsenko, even if Remco might still have ridden him off the wheel. Dommage.

he needs to sit back now and decide what kind of year he wants to have in 2023.

 

[Armchair cyclist]

Already at the beginning of the year this country wanted to be in the news for harassing a superstar athlete...

Yeah, it has been adopted wholeheartedly by the entire populace as part of a master plan for world dominance.

Grow up.

If police receive a complaint that a teenage girl has been injured as a result of physical intervention by an adult male, anywhere in the wolrd, they will (or at least should) act on it.

 

[Netserk]

You believe in guilty until proven innocent?

Also, have you been in a hotel recently? There is very few if any staff around in most of them, even mid-end ones. Someone comes knocking at your room and the appropriate thing to do is to tell them off. You're right in that he really shouldn't have opened the door being who he is though. Never assume anyone has good intentions, particularly at 4AM.

But yeah, let's see the facts of the case before jumping to any conclusions.

I believe it’s a good legal assumption. I don’t believe it’s a good epistemological assumption.

Unlike in a court, there’s a very limited harm in me being mistaken and wrongly believing that he is guilty.

I’m not advocating for anyone to punish him in any way based on that belief.

 

[Scarponi]

Already at the beginning of the year this country wanted to be in the news for harassing a superstar athlete...

Interested to hear where you are from so I can dig up some news stories from your far away land

 

[Tim Cahill]

Australia is the last place I'd go doing crimes, they have this thing where they boot you up the arse with a giant shoe as punishment, proper draconian stuff.

 

[Jumbo Visma Fan :)]

I’m a little sad that MVDP had to go through this. He gets awoken in the middle of the nights by some teenage girls, and likely lightly shoved or they ran into the wall when he came out. Jesus, wouldn’t you be absolutely furious being awoken like that the night before WC’s?