Person who spat on Van der Poel during race fined

Mathieu van der Poel has won the past two editions of the E3 Saxo Bank Classic

The person who spat on cyclist Mathieu van der Poel during last month's E3 Saxo Bank Classic has been fined, according to Belgian police.

Dutch rider Van der Poel, who won the race on 28 March, was spat on in the East Flanders city of Ronse while leading solo with about 30km remaining.

The East Flanders public prosecutor's office confirmed to BBC Sport that Ronse police had identified the culprit, who admitted spitting on Van der Poel.

Ronse police told AFP the individual will have to pay a fine of up to £300 (350 euros) but the case will not be taken any further.

In a separate incident, Alpecin-Deceuninck rider Van der Poel was struck by a water bottle while also in the lead alone at Paris-Roubaix on Sunday, before going on to win the race for a record-equalling third time in a row.

A 28-year-old Belgian man, who handed himself into police on Monday, apologised on Wednesday for hurling the bottle at Van der Poel.

The man, from Waregem in west Belgium, said his actions were "stupid and dangerous" and that he had "drunk a lot".

"I am so happy that he crossed the finish line first on Sunday, despite my stupid action," he wrote in an email released by Flemish newspaper Het Nieuwsblad.

"A water bottle was in the grass. I picked it up and threw it when he passed. Without thinking. Half a second later, I realised how stupid and dangerous it was."

The man handed himself into a West Flanders police station on Monday.

The public prosecutor is deciding what action - if any - to take.

Van der Poel, 30, has been involved in several incidents involving spectators in recent years.

In December 2023, he spat at some spectators during a cyclocross race in the Netherlands, saying he had had enough of being booed and having liquid thrown at him.

The following April, he had beer thrown at him during the Tour of Flanders.