Mathieu van der Poel has common assault conviction overturned after World Championship road race

Mathieu van der Poel has had his conviction for assaulting two teenage girls in Australia overturned.

The Dutch star said the two girls – aged 13 and 14 – knocked on his door repeatedly and then ran away.

New South Wales police said in a statement that it was alleged one of the girls fell to the ground while the other suffered a minor graze to her elbow after being pushed into a wall.

The 27-year-old had his conviction and fine overturned by a judge in Sydney’s Downing Centre district court on appeal.

According to the Daily Telegraph, Judge Ian Bourke SC said Van der Poel’s actions had been in “response to annoying and invasive conduct” by the girls and deemed their actions to be a “significant degree of provocation”.

Van der Poel’s lawyer Michael Bowe said he was satisfied with the outcome.

“He didn’t need a conviction; he’s a dedicated sportsman and cyclist,” Bowe told NCA NewsWire.

“It’s really important these matters were dismissed.”

Bowe also told ABC: “I ran the argument on the basis of loss to Mathieu – he had one opportunity in his life to win the World Championships and he’d lost that opportunity. He’d trained for that opportunity. He’d let his country down, he’d let his team down.”

Speaking about the hotel incident at the time of the event, Van der Poel told Sporza: “I went to bed early and many children in the hallway of my room found it necessary to knock on the door continuously.

“After a few times I was done with it. I didn’t ask so nicely to stop. Then the police were called and I was taken.”