The thrower is remorseful, has written to Van der Poel and his team, and apologized. The 28-year-old Flemish man who on Sunday threw a full water bottle at Mathieu Van der Poel, hitting him in the face while passing through the Templeuve cobblestone sector, personally sent a letter to Mathieu van der Poel and his team, Alpecin-Deceuninck, in which he apologizes to the Dutch rider.

Moreover, through his lawyer Peter Desmet, he spoke to journalists from Het Laatste Nieuws. "I wanted to apologize to Mathieu van der Poel in person, from the beginning. I'm so happy he crossed the finish line first on Sunday, despite my stupid gesture. But at the same time, I realize that I must apologize to every cyclist and every cycling fan."

His account: "In the field next to the pavé, I saw that yellow bottle. Perhaps one of the guys who raced in the morning (on Sunday, Roubaix races for Juniors and Under 23 were held, ed.) had thrown it away. Without thinking too much, I picked it up. It wasn't completely full, but there was still some liquid inside. Mathieu van der Poel was approaching, and when he passed, I made that stupid decision and threw the bottle."

And further: "Why did I do it? An extremely foolish impulse. Why did I do it? I've been asking myself since that moment, but I have no explanation. An extremely foolish impulse, I can't explain it any other way. Am I perhaps a Wout Van Aert fan and wanted to block his rival? Absolutely not, in reality, I don't have a favorite rider. And I felt so bad when I hit him: within half a second, I regretted throwing it. That single stupid second has put me at the center of an incredible media storm. It seems everyone is talking about me now. I know I was wrong and I will take responsibility, but I hope the situation calms down soon."

The closing remarks belong to the lawyer who explains: "My client will take legal responsibility for what happened. Of course, we would prefer to resolve the matter with an agreement, but he understands well that it's a matter of principle."

Meanwhile, no complaints have yet been filed by Van der Poel, his team, or the French Cyclists Association. What does the thrower risk? A fine and a possible six-month sentence.