New images of Paris-Roubaix Van der Poel cap-throwing incident raise fresh questions

The publication of new images of the spectator who threw a cap at Mathieu van der Poel as the world champion rode towards victory in Paris-Roubaix has revived speculation that her action may have been intentional - something the spectator in question has categorically denied.

The cap-throwing incident on the Mérignies sector of pavé sparked uproar when initial footage of the spectator's action emerged, given the evident possible risks involved, although Van der Poel was unaffected.

In an interview with Het Laatste Nieuws last week, the lawyer representing the spectator responsible said she denied it was in any way a malicious action and that she was a Van der Poel fan.

However, another video obtained and published by Het Laatste Nieuws, showing the same incident from a different angle, has raised fresh questions.

The spectator said through her lawyer last week that it was not done on purpose.

“It was clearly never my client's intention to harm the rider in question. Let alone that she wanted to bring him down. No right-thinking person would do something like that, right?," the lawyer told Het Laatste Nieuws.

The incident was reported to the French police by the UNCP, the French riders union, which lodged the complaint about the incident on behalf of the CPA [International Riders Association]. 

The spectator’s lawyer said she had been in touch with the trade union to discuss the incident, but was not willing to go through the media.

The cap toss was not an isolated incident at Paris-Roubaix. Later in the race, Van der Poel was reportedly doused in beer, as he had been on the Oude Kwaremont during his Tour of Flanders victory the previous week.