Not sure exactly what provoked it but surely it's unacceptable under any circumstances to spit at spectators! Commentators wre saying "oh he's a competitor" but I just cant agree with that!
Was surprised to hear he had been booed in several races, but I guess I'm not the only one who finds complete dominance a bit off-putting! He mighten't have helped himself by rocking up in a supercar of sorts. Doesn't deserve the boos though.
Can you really demand complete professionalism and restraint from a 28 year old faced with drunk spectators yelling and throwing pee at you though?
IG said they were booing him in the practice and race, no mention of urine.
Pretty poor role modeling.
Crossers do spit now and then, just a shame there were some pissheads in the way. Lopez knew how to deal with annoying "fans".
He'd been targeted in all three consecutive races; it was clearly visible in hand gestures from some members of the crowd. It's ironic the spit happened on home soil considering the previous two days in Belgium, but the tipping point appears to be objects being thrown at him.
No excuse for spitting though - I'm assuming he's being targeted due to his talent and stature. He's divisve, and the non-story last week with regards to the racing incident with the lapped rider taking photos may also have had a bearing. He's a marked man; it brought back echoes of the 2022 worlds in Australia, and the incident with the girls playing knock-out ginger. Learning to deal with the pressure of being a superstar can't be easy with so many idiots out there.
It's hopefully not going to diminish his performances this week, which have been astonishing. He's an incredible talent, and a joy to watch on a bike.
Problem with most of the races in Belgium, especially the Christmas ones, is that there’s a lot of extra ‘fans’ that would normally be at the footer/work or whatever, coupled with copious amounts of Jupiler, some of them get a bit ‘enthusiastic’.
Cycling, especially ‘cross in Belg/Holland is fairly triable with the fan clubs and very strong national pride etc. I don’t believe however that the ones causing the issue would be true fans.
Cycling is a great sport but sometimes the easy access to athletes is a problem when people can’t control themselves. Can’t condone the spitting, but no athletes deserve getting spat at and piss thrown at them whilst doing their jobs. Booing is one thing but they crossed the line.
Banned for throwing piss at a competitor? They should be prosecuted.
Ok, and banned too.
I'd be catching it and getting it sent for PEDs myself
Cycling is a great sport but sometimes the easy access to athletes is a problem when people can’t control themselves.
It’s not just cycling, it happens in pretty much every sport. I’ll bet that we could make a pretty long list of sportspeople from all sorts of sports who have gone into the crowd to sort out abusive fans. I’ve seen rugby players do it a few times. (It’s probably less wise to abuse a muscular 20st roided athlete than a skinny cyclist! 😂 ) I’ve seen it at gigs as well, with musicians climbing off the stage into the crowd. But yes, the problem here isn’t with the target, it’s with the moron giving out abuse, and those around giving encouragement to the dick.
Spitting at people is just vile as is throwing pee... One should not result in the other. There's no excuse.
Fair play as far as I'm concerned. After several races of being abused, he now had abuse, and beer and piss thrown at him for multiple laps.
There's been a long history of cross riders, especially Belgium's responding in, err, a not correct way .
Well said @IdleJon Accept responsibility for your actions. If your actions are throwing cups of piss then expect an unpleasant response.
In what world is spitting an acceptable response?
Anecdote: During lockdown, Mrs Boblo and I were out on the tandem. We were overtaken by very smart older couple in a brand new XC90. They looked like they'd been to a golf or Rotary Club dinner - that 'type'. He Sweeney stopped across the middle of the road and started shouting at us for, presumably, being 'there'. He finished his tirade by spitting at us - yes, during COVID! Fortunately, there's a decent identifier on a vehicle which we reported to the Police. They went round to see him as they damn well should.
As I say, disgusting. If you must respond to idiots throwing pee and booing, don't stoop to their level. At the very least you're representing the people/organisations who pay you to ride a bike for a living. Generally they'll be pretty unimpressed if you behave like a moronic caveman.
. I Sweeny stopped across the middle of the road
You Sweeny what?
He not I - miss typed. He swung his car accross the road blocking it. Twit.
In what world is spitting an acceptable response?
He lost his temper. It's possible to understand and empathise without condoning what he did.
It’s possible to understand and empathise without condoning what he did
Maybe for you, not for me, it's a disgusting thing to do. I'd understand and empathise if he'd got off and clocked him one or ranted a bit or shouted for a Marshal/Police or some such. Spitting. Nope. If that's your programmed lizard brain response, you're simply a low life even if you're a decent cyclist and/or a wealthy one. Scum nonetheless.
Maybe for you, not for me, it’s a disgusting thing to do. I’d understand and empathise if he’d got off and clocked him one or ranted a bit or shouted for a Marshal/Police or some such. Spitting. Nope. If that’s your programmed lizard brain response, you’re simply a low life even if you’re a decent cyclist and/or a wealthy one. Scum nonetheless.
Wow, and I thought I was overly judgemental 😄😄😄
Yeah, no.
He's at the front of a race, his heart rate is right up, adrenaline through the roof, and the quickest/easiest thing to do is to to fight fire with fire, rather than endangering the win. I'm assuming that's the spur of the moment thought process.
A couple of hundred Swiss francs as a fine is the proof that he made the right call to vent his spleen, whether any of us think it's wrong. He didn't lose.
Wow, and I thought I was overly judgemental 😄😄😄
Oh, and Happy New Year 😃 I don't want to turninto the 2024 version of TJ so all done and dusted. We can have different views, even strongly held ones. That's allowed 👍
Oh, and Happy New Year 😃 I don’t want to turninto the 2024 version of TJ so all done and dusted. We can have different views, even strongly held ones. That’s allowed 👍
Personally I don't think you should have been throwing your pee over people coming out of the Rotary Club, even if they clearly deserved it.
IMHO, of course.
Maybe for you, not for me, it’s a disgusting thing to do. I’d understand and empathise if he’d got off and clocked him one
So spitting is bad but physical violence is ok.
In what world is spitting an acceptable response?
I would seriously lose my shit if somebody spat on me or threw pee at me. I’d hit them, probably more than once, and not feel an ounce of regret or remorse for doing so. Certain actions come with severe consequences.
He's not letting affect his riding - bossing it, yet again.
He's not spat at anyone yet!!
He lost his temper. It’s possible to understand and empathise without condoning what he did.
I'd agree, apart from the fact that it seems like he targeted someone specifically who in that clip at least didn't throw anything. In fact, even MVDP in the interview didn't say it was stuff being thrown, it was words and booing. Looks to me like he had a whole lap at least to 'plan' his response and came up with that. If that's the response after time to mull it over (and yes, also on the limit winning a WC race) then I'm less forgiving.
Roid rage
He should have done a 'Paula Radcliffe' ride-by on them.
He should have done a ‘Paula Radcliffe’ ride-by on them.<br /><br />
Or a Gary Lineker stealth wipe 🙃
boblo
In what world is spitting an acceptable response?Anecdote: During lockdown, Mrs Boblo and I were out on the tandem. We were overtaken by very smart older couple in a brand new XC90. They looked like they’d been to a golf or Rotary Club dinner – that ‘type’. He Sweeney stopped across the middle of the road and started shouting at us for, presumably, being ‘there’. He finished his tirade by spitting at us – yes, during COVID! Fortunately, there’s a decent identifier on a vehicle which we reported to the Police. They went round to see him as they damn well should.
As I say, disgusting. If you must respond to idiots throwing pee and booing, don’t stoop to their level. At the very least you’re representing the people/organisations who pay you to ride a bike for a living. Generally they’ll be pretty unimpressed if you behave like a moronic caveman.
So other than the bikes/spitting crossover, a completely different situation.
MVP lashed out in the heat of competition in a measured but meaningful way against people who were doing something far more disgusting towards him. To my thinking, even a slap on the wrists is too much punishment, especially without the wee throwers being singled out, prosecuted and banned from ever attending an event again.
I don't like spitting in public but don't have the extreme reaction to it of some on this thread. Where does that come from?
In what world is spitting an acceptable response?
The world up until the early '90s.
Political correctness gone mad, I tell you.
The world up until the early ’90s.
Political correctness gone mad, I tell you.
'Old up, Sid Snot's 'ere.
😀