Mathieu van der Pol has hinted that the mountain bike world championships in 2025 will be the fourth discipline in his quest for the rainbow jersey.

The Dutch rider won the gravel world championships in Leuven on Sunday to claim his eighth elite world title. He has won six cyclocross world titles and was crowned road world champion in Glasgow in 2023.

Van der Pol won a bronze medal at last week's road world championships on a tough course in Zurich, but he is less confident about the rigors of next year's Kigali circuit, which has more than 5,000 meters of climbing.

Van der Pol told Dutch newspaper Algemeen Dagblad that he may focus his ambitions for the 2025 rainbow on the mountain bike world championships in Crans Montana in early September.

He was European champion in cross-country in 2019, but his bid for Olympic gold in Tokyo was ruined by a fall. After much deliberation, he chose to race on the road at the 2024 Paris Olympics.

“I don't know if it's worth it to go to Africa,” van der Pol told AD. 'I've never publicly stated that I really want a world title in mountain biking. Road racing is my priority, which makes it a little more difficult.”

“It depends on how I plan my season, but it would be great if I could finally make it a real goal.”

Van der Pol won the gravel rainbow jersey alone on Sunday, finishing more than a minute ahead of Florian Vermeersch (Belgium). His 2024 run includes his sixth cyclocross world title and victories in the Tour de Flanders, Paris-Roubaix, and E3 Harelbeke.

The 29-year-old was also on the podium at Liège-Bastogne-Liège, but will not be at Il Lombardia this weekend.