With the prudence and humility that characterizes him, the Spanish champion David Valero published a statement on his social networks last night where, without directly naming him, he asked Mathieu van der Poel for greater respect after what happened in the XCO World Cup in Nove Mesto.
David Valero shows his disappointment after the incident with Mathieu van der Poel in Nove Mesto
Advertising
Van der Poel returned to the MTB World Cup this weekend after four years of absence, which relegated him to a delayed starting position, in the fourth row, forcing him to start a comeback from the first meters of the race.
It was in the Start Loop, while advancing on the outside of the group, when he reached a right-hand curve where he found it impossible to find a gap to continue overtaking. In the images, it can be seen how, either to try to make his way or avoid losing balance, he ends up colliding with the body of the cyclist riding next to him: the Spanish David Valero. As a result, both ended up on the ground.
Van der Poel quickly recovered and continued in the race, although a few minutes later he suffered another fall that led him to retire. Valero, on the other hand, was the one who fared worse: the impact dislodged his front wheel, forcing him to stop in the technical area and completely losing the competition rhythm. Finally, he crossed the finish line in 58th position.
This is how Valero expressed his frustration with what happened:
Advertising
"I feel disappointed with the race I had today, especially with some riders who do not respect the rest of their colleagues for who they are. I appreciate that he comes to race and that they give all the visibility to the World Cup, which is very important. But, respect. Thank you all for the support."
Mountain bike
Mountain bike
Road
Mountain bike
Mountain bike
Road