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

[noob]

Quite simple case afterall. Law is the law, elite athlete sure ain't the law. Kinda shows how Van der Poel is young man, who maybe have lived quite narrow priviledged life, where simple things get sorted straight and quick.

No matter how noisy kids, or adults, athletes don't force the law. In the light of what is told so far, it's completely understandable, that he got fined for attacking civil people.

It looks like his lawyer has him around his finger, milking money from Mathieu. His lawyer should have said 'shame on you, be glad you're getting home already, don't be hothead again' things like that, instead milking him 'we must challenge', (like wtf, kid champion being stupid and you're going to challenge this )

And. His national team. Team travel management? Zero points.. They should talk with Mathieu a) anger management b) thinking winning formula for the process called 'team travel management' c) this was not the end of the world (happily no worse bruises accidents), think-talk-learn-get better-redo..

The lawyer milking was a new theory. Otherwise I agree. Also I'd not be surprised we'll hear more about his anger in the future if he's really guilty (which I think is likely).

 

[OlavEH]

I do find it funny when Euros hear about something in australia and go on as if it's some tinpot penal colony, as opposed to not really that different from most of Europe in a lot of ways (at least in the densely populated parts of the East coast).

If you want to be negative about police and the legal system I'm all in favour, just be aware that someone in MVDP's position is the absolute last person who'll be unfairly targeted here.

We don't know that. He might just be unlucky enough to be exposed for some really annoying teens and their hysterical and overprotective parents. And could not the police have waited 24 hours to interrogate him?

 

[18-Valve. (pithy)]

Statistically it's more likely they aren't. It's just not that common to wrongfully accuse someone of physical assult. It's common in TV shows, movies etc, but not in reality.

Sure. I too think the allegations are likely true. Would not surprise me one bit if he got physical.

 

[Blanco]

Usual procedure; if you confess you're released earlier than if you don't. The police job is not to find the truth strictly speaking it's the courts job.

But it's not the usual situation, the guy have the most important race of the year tomorrow morning. Dutch ambassador should've been on the phone immediately, hell even Prime Minister should.

 

[Valanga]

Lets not forget the real reason he's in this mess - the management of the Dutch cycling team should never have let this happen in the first place. We should be more angry with them then a bunch of kids.

Idk, this is more on VdP himself than on the team management imho.
What should they have done? He was sleeping on another floor than the rest of the team, because he had a cold (sure...) or because he actually preferred spending the night with his girlfriend (more likely).
That's a valid choice by VdP imho. But he should have called the management of the team or the hotel. He didn't. Understandable, but stupid. So you can't blame them, but only VdP himself.

 

[noob]

But it's not the usual situation, the guy have the most important race of the year tomorrow morning. Dutch ambassador should've been on the phone immediately, hell even Prime Minister should.

A cycling race ain't above the law of physical violence against minors, which is what this falls under. If it was it would be really really really bad.

 

[jmdirt]

If he has done this in their room then I see zero excuse. That's way above a normal rage fit.

If the person is at your door and you push them away that can be explained by brain circuit, but walking into their room is a whole other power demonstration in the first place.

Where does it say that it was in the girls' room?

 

[jmdirt]

Lying yes, accusing someone of pushing you to the point you fall or bruise no. To whom would they lie? About running and knocking. It ain't no crime and they're kids. They don't even risk consequences. They have no reason to lie.

You clearly don't know teens.

 

[dazaau]

Where does it say that it was in the girls' room?

There is nothing anywhere which supports this. Someone just threw it out there in the thread. If we stop mentioning it, it can die the death it deserves.

 

[King Boonen]

Are people seriously suggesting that a man accused of assaulting two children should be given deferential treatment and allowed to go and ride his bike..?

Edit: To be clear (because this place is full of pedants), should just be allowed to go back to bed, race and then submit for questioning.

 

[Izzyeviel]

Idk, this is more on VdP himself than on the team management imho.
What should they have done? He was sleeping on another floor than the rest of the team, because he had a cold (sure...) or because he actually preferred spending the night with his girlfriend (more likely).
That's a valid choice by VdP imho. But he should have called the management of the team or the hotel. He didn't. Understandable, but stupid. So you can't blame them, but only VdP himself.

Biggest race of the season, so you either have a security guard outside the door or make clear to the athlete, 'call this number if 'fans' disturb you & we'll sort out, you stay in your room'.

This sorta thing should be planned for by the team. Teams go to all sort of lengths with this marginal gains nonsense, and yet don't make a plan to ensure their star rider has a good nights sleep.

 

[Logic-is-your-friend]

Are people seriously suggesting that a man accused of assaulting two children should be given deferential treatment and allowed to go and ride his bike..?

Edit: To be clear (because this place is full of pedants), should just be allowed to go back to bed, race and then submit for questioning.

I think people should be allowed to use their brains and common sense when assessing a situation. For all we know he tapped their shoulder (which he shouldn't obviously) and they tripped or stumbled or even backed into the wall themselves. Yet according to the law this might be filed under the same section as if he had punched them in the face. Maybe the police could have tried to moderate the situation with the parents. People doing dumb *** in traffic can also get off with a warning, you don't necessarily have to be fined or taken to the police station.

But obviously we don't know exactly what happened and maybe the cops did assess the situation and decided it was severe enough to proceed as they did.

 

[Andre]

You clearly don't know teens.

many people would lie to avoid getting in trouble, specially unruly teens disturbing the peace and harassing.

 

[Valanga]

Biggest race of the season, so you either have a security guard outside the door

Come on now...

or make clear to the athlete, 'call this number if 'fans' disturb you & we'll sort out, you stay in your room'.

Perhaps they did? "If you need anything, call us" kind of message.
I'd think this would be common sense though, but sure.

 

[King Boonen]

I think people should be allowed to use their brains and common sense when assessing a situation. For all we know he tapped their shoulder (which he shouldn't obviously) and they tripped or stumbled or even backed into the wall themselves. Yet according to the law this might be filed under the same section as if he had punched them in the face. Maybe the police could have tried to moderate the situation with the parents. People doing dumb *** in traffic can also get off with a warning, you don't necessarily have to be fined or taken to the police station.

But obviously we don't know exactly what happened and maybe the cops did assess the situation and decided it was severe enough to proceed as they did.

Without getting into a discussion on laws that I doubt either of us know much about, punching someone is usually battery or whatever similar law there is on the books, or worse depending on the harm done.

But, to repeat, you are not seriously suggesting that the police shouldn't question a man accused of assaulting 2 children as soon as possible after the incident?

 

[fox]

Some proper bizarre reactions in here. You would think he was thrown into a dark cell with no food and water for 48 hours. An altercation happened between an adult and two 13 year old girls - the police was called, they took him in for questioning and he was released a couple of hours later, is a free man and simply has to appear in court a few days later to settle the simple question, if he physically touched them or not.
I'm more often than not critical of state authorities or police but I fail to see the big drama here. Of course the timing of this sucked big time for him but if you'd hear anywhere else that police was called after a confrontation between a 27 year old and two 13 year olds you'd 100% expect them to question both parties right away. His personal circumstances aren't relevant whatsoever in that situation, it would be quite a joke otherwise.

The whole conclusions regarding Australias laws or "society and kids these days" are proper hilarious. Playing knock and run in a hotel might be annoying but it's one of the mildest forms of teenagers pushing boundaries I've ever heard. The way people talk about their behaviour ("they need to be sued" hahaha) you'd think they pushed a granny in front of a bus.

MVDP should've called the hotel or team staff right away and nothing happens. Oh, and they shouldn't have been in that hotel in the first place. End of story.
Hopefully he still does Lombardia.

If this is normal policy in Australia for this kind of BS, than the justice department really has nothing much to do. In most of Western Europe the police will show up and they will just tell you to keep it down. Not in a million years there would be an arrest, athlete or otherwise. That's why everyone in Holland was thinking it was a joke at first.

 

[fox]

Without getting into a discussion on laws that I doubt either of us know much about, punching someone is usually battery or whatever similar law there is on the books, or worse depending on the harm done.

But, to repeat, you are not seriously suggesting that the police shouldn't question a man accused of assaulting 2 children as soon as possible after the incident?

They could have just asked him in the hotel. Did you beat them? No? Ok, girls do you have proof? No? Well, have a nice evening and keep it down because the other guests want to go to sleep. Case closed.

 

[Carrick-On-Seine]

They could have just asked him in the hotel. Did you beat them? No? Ok, girls do you have proof? No? Well, have a nice evening and keep it down because the other guests want to go to sleep. Case closed.

If the stories of the two girls matched up (in presumably separate interviews) then MvdP had a bit of extra explaining to do.

 

[Blanco]

Without getting into a discussion on laws that I doubt either of us know much about, punching someone is usually battery or whatever similar law there is on the books, or worse depending on the harm done.

But, to repeat, you are not seriously suggesting that the police shouldn't question a man accused of assaulting 2 children as soon as possible after the incident?

They should question him alright, but not until 4 in the morning!

 

[noob]

They should question him alright, but not until 4 in the morning!

And they should prioritize his case because? He's not going to be the only one at the police station.

What world do you guys live in :O

 

[BR2]

The amount of people who believe it's bad that the law also applies to celebrities

Are people seriously suggesting that a man accused of assaulting two children should be given deferential treatment and allowed to go and ride his bike..?

Edit: To be clear (because this place is full of pedants), should just be allowed to go back to bed, race and then submit for questioning.

Is it about celebrities? I don't know what really happened and what he really did. I don't know how seriously injured the girl was. So if he was really aggressive towards them, he deserved to be brought to the police station right there.

But the way it sounds, they totally harassed him, he got into an argument with them, things got heated and he pushed them. If some teenagers of 13/14 (my son's 14) came to my hotel room in the middle of the night and harrassed me and I was seriously under stress and then when I opened the door they wouldn't run away, but be unregenerate and maybe still verbally fight with me - I might push them in the heat of the moment, too. Of course it's correct that the police then investigates, and that he's punished accordingly, but to me whether the behaviour of the police to take him to the station in the middle of the night was justified depends on what kind of a push it was - at 13/14 you are not really a child who doesn't have huge responsibility in this case if you harrass some person like that. So honestly some kind of push in that situation is not an "assault" to me where you have to be taken to the police station immediately if you can show your papers and everything right there.

 

[BR2]

And they should prioritize his case because? He's not going to be the only one at the police station.

What world do you guys live in :O

Is there a difference maybe in the rules how normal it is to be taken to the police for an interrogation immediately? Because here I'm pretty sure in most cases, if they get your identity card and everything right away, your address, you get an appointment at the police station for the next day(s) or it's only further handled per letters anyway unless someone calls you to court.

 

[Logic-is-your-friend]

Without getting into a discussion on laws that I doubt either of us know much about, punching someone is usually battery or whatever similar law there is on the books, or worse depending on the harm done.

But, to repeat, you are not seriously suggesting that the police shouldn't question a man accused of assaulting 2 children as soon as possible after the incident?

One of the kids supposedly hurt her elbow, the other fell to the floor, so that would also fall under battery, since i doubt there is a law specifically for minor injuries inflicted. So to repeat my statement, i think the officers on scene should be allowed to use their brains and common sense when they assess the situation. And they should first try to resolve the incident by moderation when their common sense tells them there was no intent to harm or premeditated aggression and other then a scraped elbow there were no injuries. While his actions may not be excused, those of the children (or their parents lack of supervision) can also not be excused, meaning his actions were a reaction after being provoked. Him being a star athlete should not play a part, but the circumstances should definitely matter.

 

[RedheadDane]

I'm not entirely joking if I were them, I wouldn't go to The Netherlands; mvp is a national treasure in his homeland.
There's no need to panic though, they'd be welcome in Belgium and France.

Maybe not right now - if their faces become public. But surely it should be okay by the time their 18th birthdays roll around.

 

[noob]

Is there a difference maybe in the rules how normal it is to be taken to the police for an interrogation immediately? Because here I'm pretty sure in most cases, if they get your identity card and everything right away, your address, you get an appointment at the police station for the next day(s) or it's only further handled per letters anyway unless someone calls you to court.

I doubt they would just let go directly yes. Since it's children.