After world titles in three disciplines, Van der Poel may focus on a fourth in 2025

Mathieu van der Poel's closet has gained a new rainbow jersey. The Dutchman impressively made his mark Sunday at the World Gravel Championship in Leuven, where he led the race all day and eventually eliminated Florian Vermeersch as his last opponent in the final. "It gives a lot of satisfaction, and it's very nice to end the season like that," he said afterward.

He was already a world champion on the road and won several World Championships in cyclocross, but he still needed the gravel jersey. "This is a victory that means a lot to me. The World Gravel Championship was a big goal, and I think adding a new rainbow jersey to the collection is cool, especially since it's a completely different discipline. It wasn't a goal, but I'm delighted to finish the season like this," said the cheerful Alpecin-Deceuninck Dutchman.

When the starting gun sounded, Van der Poel raced to the front. "I wanted to make the race as tough as possible because I knew it could be tricky with a big group on the local lap. I wanted to hurt everyone, and in the end, I rode away with Florian Vermeersch. We worked well together, and I was able to finish it."

"It was a tough course, but I enjoyed it," said Van der Poel, who said he wasn't feeling very refreshed in the closing phase either. "I felt my legs too, and you never know in a sprint, especially on a gravel bike. On the last hill, I just tried, and that also makes celebrating when you're alone nicer," he laughed. He threw his Canyon gravel bike into the air at the finish line again.

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Will we see Van der Poel in action in his gravel rainbow jersey in 2025?

How does this new rainbow jersey compare to the titles Van der Poel has won before? "The one on the road is still ranked higher, but I'm also thrilled with this one. I didn't have this one yet, so adding it to the list is nice. Gravel is becoming immensely popular, and I do a lot of it myself at home," said the new world champion, who came in third at the World Championships in Zurich just last week.

So he likes gravel a lot, and now Van der Poel owns the rainbow jersey, but will we see him in action in 2025? Take races like Unbound or other specific races on gravel. "That's something to think about. I'm going to enjoy it now first, but who knows?" the cheerful Dutchman admits at this point that he does not know the answer yet.

In an interview with the Dutch outlet AD, Van der Poel hinted at his possible plans for next year. He doesn’t currently see himself competing at the road race in the World Championships in Rwanda. "I don’t know if it’s worth going to Africa. I've never hidden the fact that I really want that mountain bike world title too. It’s become a bit difficult because road racing has taken priority. It depends on how I can schedule the season exactly, but it would be great if I could finally make it a real goal," he concluded.

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