Despite breakthrough 2025, questions remain over Matthew Brennan’s true role: “They don’t quite know yet whether he’s a sprinter at all”

Matthew Brennan’s breakout 2025 season has reinforced Team Visma | Lease a Bike’s long-standing reputation for identifying elite young talent, but discussion around the Brit’s future role suggests his next phase may be more complex than his results alone imply.

Speaking on the Kop over Kop podcast, analysts praised Brennan’s rapid rise while also highlighting a key uncertainty that could shape his long-term development. Despite winning across multiple terrains at just 20 years of age, there is still no consensus on exactly what type of rider Team Visma | Lease a Bike are developing.

Bobbie Traksel described Brennan as “a gem”, while stressing the importance of restraint given the speed of his progression. “At his age he’s already arriving very quickly, so you have to be careful with this guy,” he said. Traksel also pointed to moments that suggest Brennan’s ceiling may stretch far beyond bunch sprints. “He’s not just a sprinter. In Denain he made the crossing on his own. Those are the signals that make you think: wow, what they’re doing here…”

Brennan’s victory at GP Denain marked his first professional win. Days later, he claimed two stages in Catalunya to secure his first WorldTour successes, before continuing to add wins across a range of race profiles as the season progressed.

It is that breadth of ability which has prompted caution from some observers.

Jan Hermsen believes Team Visma | Lease a Bike may soon be forced to define Brennan’s role more clearly. “That’s a bit of the problem: they don’t quite know yet,” he said. “Everyone says he’s a good sprinter, for example in that first stage in Catalonia. But the question with him is whether he’s even a sprinter at all.”

Hermsen also pointed to the internal debate surrounding Brennan’s climbing ability. “He’s obviously very fast, but they still think he could also be used for the Grand Tours.” That assessment was strengthened by Brennan’s overall victory at the Tour of Norway, where he showed he could climb consistently while still delivering decisive accelerations.

According to Jeroen Vanbelleghem, Visma | Lease a Bike appear ready to test Brennan’s range at the highest level, with a Grand Tour debut expected sooner rather than later. “Visma are the only top team that haven’t announced their programme yet,” he said. “But normally he will ride the Giro. There he will have plenty of opportunities to win stages. It will be particularly fascinating.”

Traksel sees Brennan as a crucial figure within a wider generational shift at the team. “This is a very important and necessary rider for Visma | Lease a Bike,” he said. “They have a lot of talents, but I don’t really see many true gems among them yet. They need riders like this if they want to remain a top team.”