Mathieu van der Poel's actions 'unbelievable', says father of Worlds assault victim

Dutchman admits he was "wrong" to get involved in situation in Australia

Mathieu van der Poel
(Image credit: Getty Images)

The father of the girls assaulted by Mathieu van der Poel at the World Championships has said the Dutch rider had a right to get angry, but not to do what he did.

The Alpecin-Deceuninck rider was taken to Kogarah Police Station the night before the World Championships men’s elite road race in Australia, after he was involved in an altercation with two teenage girls, who had been knocking on his hotel room door. He was charged with two counts of common assault and granted conditional bail. 

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Adam Becket
News editor

Adam is Cycling Weekly’s news editor – his greatest love is road racing but as long as he is cycling, he's happy. Before joining CW he spent two years writing for Procycling. He's usually out and about on the roads of Bristol and its surrounds.

Before cycling took over his professional life, he covered ecclesiastical matters at the world’s largest Anglican newspaper and politics at Business Insider. Don't ask how that is related to cycling.