We live next to famous race route – dozens of cyclists beg to use our toilet – one of them went on to be world champion

A WORLD champion cyclist has praised one couple who let him use their toilet – and said he wouldn’t have won without their help.

Mathieu van der Poel, who claimed the UCI Road World Championships title, said he owes the victory to Davie and Shona Findlay.

Media Scotland

Davie and Shona welcomed several cyclists into their home during the race[/caption]

AFP

The UCI Road World Championships winner said he owes the victory to the couple[/caption]

It came after the race was stopped for 51 minutes after disruption caused by climate protesters, which saw five arrested.

Activists barricaded a road in a nature park just north of a road leading into Glasgow – meaning the peloton ground to a halt.

The remote nature of the area meant there were few places for the competitors to take refuge – apart from one house.

Davie and Shona were shocked when the sweaty Dutch cyclist knocked on their door and asked to deliver a “big massive message”.

Mathieu told the Daily Record: “It was a crazy day. But I have to go back to the middle of the race for the most important part.

“I had to do a big massive message. I had to knock on the door of a couple’s house along the course.

“I really owe them and I would like to thank them so much. I couldn’t have carried on racing without their help.”

The grateful cyclist praised the “kind” and unsuspecting pair for helping him win “the biggest race of my life”.

A stunned Davie, 58, humbly said any neighbour would have done the same.

“All we did was offer a bit of hospitality, which we would always do.

“We did feel that it was a bit of an emergency because the team manager came first and asked if we could let one rider use the facilities, who I now take to be Mathieu van der Poel.”

The helpful homeowner described his brief guest as a “nice guy and extremely polite”, adding “he was so grateful”.

And, their generosity was extended to more than just Mathieu.

“The next thing we knew there was another rider and then another and I think we had four of the guys from the Netherlands in,” added a proud Davie.

“I think they were just taking advantage of the lull in the race and enjoying the rest while they got focused for the restart.”

Dutch coach, Koos Moerenhout confirmed that a number of cyclists made full use of taking a toilet break in the house.

When Moerenhout was asked by reporters if his cyclist had stopped off at the house for a pee, he joked: “To pee? I think for something more than that. Oh well, it makes for another nice story.”

But, “thrilled” couple Davie and Shona said they were happy to help and described the whole experience as “surreal”.

Mathieu added: “It means everything. It was one of my biggest goals and to win it today is amazing.

“It almost completes my career in my opinion, it’s almost my biggest victory on the road.”

This wasn’t the first time that a cyclist has had to stop mid-race for a sanitary pit stop.

At the Giro D’Italia in 2017, Tom Dumoulin was also forced to take a break when nature called on the tour’s 16th stage.

Like Van der Poel, he also went on to claim victory on that particular tour.

Media Scotland

Dutch coach, Koos Moerenhout confirmed that a number of cyclists made full use of taking a toilet break in the house[/caption]

EPA

Mathieu van der Poel claimed he couldn’t have continued the race without Davie and Shona’s help[/caption]