CNN
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Dutch cyclist Mathieu van der Poel will appeal a court conviction on Saturday for assaulting two teenage girls at a Sydney hotel, according to his lawyer.
Van der Poel pleaded guilty to two counts of joint assault on Monday and was fined AUS$1,500 ($967), according to his attorney.
The 27-year-old was preparing for the men’s World Cup road race on Sunday when he was involved in a verbal altercation with two girls, aged 13 and 14, according to New South Wales Police.
“It is further alleged the man then pushed both teenagers, one falling to the ground and the other being slammed against a wall, causing a small abrasion on her elbow,” police said in a statement.
Van der Poel says the couple knocked on his door before walking away late in the evening, according to Reuters.
The hotel management notified the police, who arrested Van der Poel.
The cyclist’s attorney, Michael Bowe, upheld the court’s decision but told CNN Van der Poel would appeal.
Bowe added that in New South Wales one can plead guilty to a crime but may not be convicted, although that was not the case in Van der Poel’s case.
“We went through the relevant events, he was arrested by the police, questioned by the police and said certain things to the police,” Bowe told Reuters.
“Mathieu agreed with some of these allegations. During the discussion it was agreed that he should plead guilty. In Australia, if you plead guilty, you can walk away without a conviction…but that wasn’t the case here.”
Van der Poel was able to get his passport back and has since left Australia.
His team, Alpecin-Deceuninck, says it will investigate the incident before further steps are determined.
“Needless to say, everyone is losing here and we can only regret that. Initially, our focus was on providing on-site legal assistance and helping Mathieu van der Poel return home quickly,” the team said in a statement to CNN.
“Now that this has happened, we want to get a clear picture of what happened.”
“We want to emphasize that respect for others inside and outside the peloton is and has been a core value of Alpecin-Deceuninck.
“That’s why we want to follow this up in an appropriate way. Only then will Team Alpecin-Deceuninck and Mathieu van der Poel come to an understanding again.”
CNN reached out to Alpecin-Deceuninck for comment on behalf of Van der Poel, but was referred to his official statement.
KNWU, the Dutch cycling team he represented during this weekend’s race, declined to comment.