Top Dutch cyclist Mathieu van der Poel pleaded guilty Monday to common assault after being arrested over an altercation with two teenage girls at a Sydney hotel, a court official said.

The 27-year-old was detained on the eve of Sunday’s elite road race at the world championships in Wollongong, where he was among the favourites.

Van der Poel, who has won a stage on the Tour de France, was due in Sutherland Local Court on Tuesday but pleaded guilty on Monday and was fined Aus$1,500 (US$1,000), according to a court statement provided by an official.

He is reportedly on his way home to the Netherlands, with his lawyer Michael Rowe saying his passport had been returned and he was free to depart Australia.

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