Where Van der Poel is already making the switch to gravel, is Pogacar already hinting slightly at 2025?
Cycling
Follow IDL Pro Cycling on Google
Stay up to date with the best cycling news by making us a preferred source on Google.
Follow us on Google
The World Gravel Championship 2024
is scheduled this Sunday in Leuven, Belgium. This includes one distinct top favorite: Dutchman Mathieu van der Poel, as man-in-form and reigning world champion in the field. The rider from Alpecin-Deceuninck picked up his gravel bike this week to prepare for the World Championships.
ADVERTISEMENT
Normally, Van der Poel and his Australian cycling friend Freddy Ovett work out their rides on the Spanish coast, where they enjoy the nice weather. However, Ovett has taken up residence in Belgium for this World Championship opportunity, where he and Van der Poel can prepare for next Sunday's World Championship in Leuven. The men cycled almost 105 kilometers were already cycled on Wednesday, heading into the Kempen region together.
"Warm welcome," Ovett wrote on Strava, referring to Wednesday's rainfall. He also included a photo of the two men, including Van der Poel, in the Alpecin-Deceuninck jeans outfit. We didn't see him in that outfit too often in races as a world champion. However, he did wear it regularly in training, considering that he claims to do much of his training on gravel in Belgium.
Is Tadej Pogacar hinting at participation for World Gravel Championship 2025 in Nice?
Some 1,250 kilometers south, some men also trained on gravel, but in the Nice hinterland: Tadej Pogacar, Michael Matthews, and Tim Wellens took their gravel bikes there for a 107-kilometer ride. It is known that Pogacar would like to take part in the gravel World Championship, for which next year's edition seems an ideal opportunity: after all, the World Championship will take place in Nice, not far from Monaco, the hometown of Pogacar and numerous other pros.
Pogacar actually wanted to be in Cittadella, where the first gravel World Championship was held in 2022. There he was indeed, but he was also a VIP from Colnago. As a fresh world champion himself, he will be seen at the Giro dell'Emilia on Saturday, and one week later, he plans to peak once more at the Tour of Lombardy.
The calendar for the new cyclo-cross season is now online! Check it out here. Or check out our general calendars for the remainder of the season for the men and women's races.
Read also
Bram van der PloegEditor-in-chief
Bram van der Ploeg (35) is the proud founder of In de Leiderstrui, IDL Pro Cycling's parent site, launched in 2018. Finally, he could create stories about the sport he had followed since childhood. He is the editor-in-chief on paper, but prefers to be with his recorder next to a rider, a team bus, or in the mud at a cyclocross race. Every year, from February to the end of May, Bram follows the entire Italian cycling season, from the Trofeo Laigueglia to the Giro d'Italia, with the grand finale in October in Lombardy. During that time, he lives in Tuscany, where he has since come to call Italy his 'home'.
IDL-productions
Onley, Dickson, Thornley and now Mason; Scotland is punching way above its cycling weight
Cyclocross legend Lars van der Haar had a tough time after retiring from cyclocross: 'It was over pretty quickly'
Celia Gery won the European cyclocross championship while awaiting surgery: 'It'll be a new beginning'
Dutch team coach De Knegt annoyed by European Cyclocross Championships dispute: "A bit of a let down"
Glasgow set to shine as World Cup demand outstrips expectations and Mason eyes first home cyclocross race
Latest Cycling News
Complications surround Wout van Aert's World Cyclocross Championship start
Thibau Nys and Lucinda Brand's team lose title sponsor in the middle of the cyclocross season
Thibau Nys offers glimpse into unbelievable cyclocross comeback: 'That uncertainty, that struggle with self-confidence'
Tom Pidcock’s natural cyclocross successor has found the final piece of the puzzle: 'I’ve now crossed that threshold'
Onley, Dickson, Thornley and now Mason; Scotland is punching way above its cycling weight
Popular Cycling News
Tadej Pogačar reveals his insane training data in new HBO film: 'I think that's what works best'
Pidcock's turbocharged vacation leads to struggles on the bike: 'No wonder people think cycling is hard'
Mads Pedersen weighs in on Lucinda Brand and Marie Schreiber's European Cyclocross Championship clash
Thibau Nys and Lucinda Brand's team lose title sponsor in the middle of the cyclocross season
Extensive evidence of use of N-word, homophobia, and Asian-hate by track cyclist Matthew Richardson revealed
Latest Comments
- - I’m still learning how cyclocross works: when he says he messed up the start at the Europeans, can a bad start really make that much difference?patriciaw14-11-2026
- - Love that he’s honest about the pressure. Hopefully he can carry this form through the winter.lindae14-11-2026
- - Beating different competition is the key now. Nys is already in the mix, and Van der Poel could make the next step a much tougher one.jennifer1914-11-2026
- - About time—Mason’s been knocking on the door for years. That Niel win could really open things up for him.cadencekingm14-11-2026
- I’m still learning how cyclocross works—does leading the Superprestige mean Mason is top of that race series, rather than the World Cup? Either way, winning in Belgium sounds like a massive result.cadencekingm13-11-2026
- Calling Onley a contender for an overall Tour win already feels a bit premature, especially after the injury setbacks. Still, the depth of talent is exciting.robert6513-11-2026
- Great to see Dickson’s route from triathlon to the WorldTour getting recognition. Scottish cycling has plenty to be proud of, and the 2027 Grand Départ could give the next generation a real lift.patriciaw13-11-2026
- The article makes a good case for clubs and small teams doing the groundwork, rather than one big development pipeline. Thornley’s Vuelta time trials were seriously impressive too; missing a stage win by two seconds is brutal.davidm13-11-2026
- Mason winning in Niel is huge—beating that kind of Belgian field in the mud takes serious class. The Kelvingrove World Cup could be an unforgettable homecoming.breakawaybikerd13-11-2026
- I’m not sure how WorldTour licences work—could these reports affect whether the team gets one next year, or is that decision based on other criteria?velodromevirtuoso113-11-2026