Florian Sénéchal believes Paris-Roubaix spectator sprayed him with urine

Florian Sénéchal claims a fan poured urine on him while he was riding Paris-Roubaix on Sunday, after being sprayed with a pungent liquid with just over 25km left in the race.

The Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl rider believes a spectator threw a mixture of urine and beer on him as he was exiting the 1.3km Cysoing à Bourghelles cobbled sector, dampening Sénéchal's spirits further as he questioned why someone would do such a thing. 

“I was riding with Alexander Kristoff at the exit of Cysoing,” Sénéchal told La Voix du Nord. “I feel something splash on my arm. I think it’s beer, but I actually smell its urine.

“There, I’m totally demoralised… I don’t understand how we can do that.”

Despite finishing 13th, this incident further compounded the misery Sénéchal felt on the cobbles on Sunday. The Frenchman seemed in a strong position with less than 50km left to go in the race, riding near the front of the pack as he came into the Mons-en-Pévèle sector.

However, an attack by Wout van Aert left Sénéchal and a few other riders playing catch up to the Belgian. As the action intensified, Sénéchal unfortunately crashed as he attempted to keep pace, losing his grip and balance on the treacherous cobbles. 

"The head hit the ground directly," Sénéchal said on Twitter. 

"A little broken and the race was over for me. The luck was not there with mechanical problems during the race. The team did an incredible job, always up front and stronger." 

Like many other riders, the Frenchman suffered punctured tyres and mechanical problems during the race. Eventually, he finished 4-36 back on Dylan van Baarle, who won Paris-Roubaix with a stunning solo attack 19km from the end. 

Wout van Aert and Stefan Küng joined Van Baarle on the podium, with Sénéchal disappointed at the multiple incidents he was involved in during the race, especially the mystery liquid poured over him by a spectator.