The possibility that Mathieu van der Poel will race mountain bikes exclusively in 2024 and quit both cyclocross and road to compete in the Olympics was raised by his father, former pro Adly. In an interview with Helden magazine, van der Pol argued that it would be more productive for the Alpecin Phoenix athlete to focus solely on MTB. This, he argued, both in terms of the qualifying rounds and how they affect actual race participation, and in terms of the physical toll of alternating between disciplines. Van der Pol said that although the 2024 Olympics have not yet been discussed, it is possible that Mathieu will compete in the Olympics again in the MTB discipline. Rather than switch from road to MTB to cyclocross and back again, he argued, sticking to one discipline of the sport is an option. Van der Pol told Helden, "It might be wise to give up mountain biking in 2022 and 2023, focus only on mountain biking in the Olympic year, and stay away from road cycling [for that season]."

"Combining these three disciplines has made for a hectic schedule in recent years. Not in terms of competition days, but in terms of preparation. It is difficult to suddenly change events with a short preparation period.

"In mountain biking, for example, you are in a completely different position. Also, in mountain biking, you are often fighting for the starting position (starting grid), so if you haven't raced much, you will start from the back of the pack."

Senior Van der Pol claimed that there have been no discussions about an Olympic race for MTB yet, "I won't ask him now, but I think the Olympics last summer are still running through his mind."

"Therefore, he would not be thinking about approaching the Paris Olympics yet. [He fell in the MTB cross-country race in Japan last year, which was won by Britain's Tom Pidcock.