More claims and video footage has emerged of the incident involving Mathieu van der Poel in his team hotel the night before the World Championships elite men's road race in Wollongong at the weekend. The video that has emerged appears to show Van der Poel - dressed in boxer shorts and socks - chasing the girls and also in verbal dispute with family members, more of whom were in a separate room, after the incident.
The family accuses Van der Poel of threatening them and when he tells a woman to call the police, she tells him she already has. The Dutch rider replies: “Fine, are you sure?” A family member has also told Dutch media they are not angry with the girls but feel Van der Poel got off lightly - after pleading guilty to common assault and being fined A$1,500 and being banned from Australia for three years. The eldest girl - aged 14 - who was present but not involved in the incident said it was a shame Van der Poel missed his night's sleep, but added the young girl was less worried about that. She claimed her parents were aware of previous 'knock and run' incidents they had been involved in at hotels.
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According to Dutch site AD.nl, part of the exchange between the rider and family members, who are from Australia and were on holiday in Sydney, goes as follows:
Van der Poel: “I didn’t touch anybody.”
The mother: “Shut up, it’s on camera.”
VDP: “Show me, no problem.”
TM: “You are not allowed in my room.”
VDP: “You are not allowed to knock my door for three fucking hours.”
TM: “You threatened us.”
VDP: “Then call the police and tell them about this.”
TM: “I already did. They are on their way.”
VDP: “Fine, are you sure?”
The newspaper reports that three girls were in the hotel room opposite Van der Poel's. The girls are aged 12, 13 and 14 years though the eldest was in the bathroom at the time of the incident. One of the younger girls was knocking on Van der Poel's door while the other was recording the video.
It seems the incident captured on film - which is of very poor quality and is very short - was not the first 'knock and run' at the rider's door as he was clearly waiting at his door and came out of his room immediately and at speed.
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As the girls run back into their room, Van der Poel follows them. It is at that point he is said to have grabbed or pushed the girls, though that is not visible in the clip seen by stickybottle. We have decided not to share the videos as they identify the girls, who are minors.
The Dutch media has reported the eldest girl contacted Dutch journalists, with the permission of her parents, to share the footage and more information about what happen at the Novotel Brighton Hotel in Sydney last Saturday night.
She said the family was unaware that a cyclist was in the room across the corridor from their rooms; the three girls in one room and their parents in another beside it. The family were also unaware that the World Championships were taking place in the region. While the parents heard noises coming from the girls, they say they believed they were watching a horror movie in their room.
Documents considered by the court at Monday's hearing show the final knock that caused the incident was at 10.40pm and that Van der Poel chased the girls and grabbed her by the arms inside their room. It is said he squeezed her arms and pushed her before also pushing the second girl. The documents note he was "frustrated" by the series of knocks the night before such a big race.
“He waited for the victims to knock on his door and chased them into their hotel room, following close behind them,” the document says.
Van der Poel was arrested when the police arrived at the hotel and was taken to a police station. He did not get back to his room until 4am and abandoned the elite men's road race later that morning - for which he was one of the favourites - not long after the start.
