‘Hopefully she broke as much as possible’: Lorena Wiebes hits back at online hate

Lorena Wiebes left the UCI track cycling world championships with two rainbow jerseys — and a bitter reminder of how cruel social media can be.

The SD Worx–Protime sprinter, who took gold in both the team sprint and elimination race, crashed heavily in the Madison alongside teammate Lisa van Belle. The fall ended her competition on a painful note, but the injuries weren’t the only scars left behind.

Hateful comments

In a post to Instagram, Wiebes said she was “okay under the circumstances,” while sharing a screenshot of a hateful Facebook comment. The message, from a user named “Baerke,” wished her “as many broken bones as possible” and called her “the most unsportsmanlike woman there is.”

😢

Credits: Lorena Wiebes Instagram pic.twitter.com/1Zd23DQsaR

— Mee met Oranje (@meemetoranje) October 28, 2025

Wiebes responded: “People are so nice these days.”

It wasn’t the first time the 25-year-old has faced abuse online. After last year’s UCI gravel world championships, she and compatriot Yara Kastelijn were both targeted by angry fans.

The Dutch federation (KNWU) later condemned the wave of insults directed at its riders. Director Maurice Leeser said the organization was “shocked” by the personal attacks following the women’s race.

“The KNWU has taken in the online reactions and reports about the elite women’s race, where we understand that sport is emotion and evokes emotions,” the statement read. “However, we are shocked by the way in which some of our riders were personally approached via social media after the race. In our view, it is completely unacceptable that athletes, who dedicate themselves with full commitment and pride, are confronted with derogatory, insulting or intimidating reactions. This can never be the intention of such a tournament or event within our cycling community.

The statement ended by saying, “Insulting or belittling riders via social media is not permissible in any way. The KNWU stands unconditionally behind its athletes and condemns this behavior in the strongest terms. The KNWU calls on everyone not to let undesirable behavior via social media pass.”