Vape smoke blown at Mathieu van der Poel latest in string of crowd incidents

As Van der Poel passed the spectator, the individual deliberately exhaled a cloud of vape smoke towards the world champion. Despite the disruption, the Dutch rider went on to win the race, distancing Thibau Nys on the third lap before riding solo to victory. Wout van Aert finished second.

Afterwards, Van der Poel was also asked about the incident on VTM. “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 concluded with a wink.

The Hofstade incident is the latest in a troubling series of crowd related episodes involving Van der Poel. In recent seasons, he has had beer and alleged urine thrown at him during cyclocross races and at the Tour of Flanders. At Paris Roubaix in April 2025, a spectator threw a full water bottle directly into his face, an incident Van der Poel described as painful and potentially dangerous. He was also spat at during the E3 Saxo Classic and had a cap thrown at his wheel at the 2024 edition of Paris-Roubaix.

In December 2023, tensions boiled over when Van der Poel was filmed spitting at spectators during the Hulst World Cup cyclocross event, following persistent booing and the throwing of beer at him. He was later fined 250 euros for the incident. Eyewitnesses reported that the abuse included beer and urine being thrown, accounts that Van der Poel later shared on social media.

Rivals Tadej Pogacar and Wout van Aert have previously expressed solidarity with Van der Poel, calling for stronger measures to protect riders and promote respectful behaviour among fans following the Paris-Roubaix bottle incident. 

In 2024, the Belgian arm of the riders union CPA initiated civil legal proceedings against spectators accused of throwing beer during the Tour of Flanders, although no public outcome has been announced.