"He was racing on empty and still managing to perform": Former coach explains the steep rise of Matthew Brennan
Cycling
Before he established himself as one of the peloton’s rising forces, Matthew Brennan was already making an impression with his personality. That’s how his former coach, Giles Pidcock, remembers it, revealing how the young rider’s leadership was evident even in his first steps over the cobbles.
As Brennan geared up to race the In Flanders Fields - From Middelkerke to Wevelgem, as the Gent - Wevelgem classic is now called, Pidcock recalled how those early experiences proved pivotal in his development. The rider himself made that clear after his win at Kuurne–Bruxelles–Kuurne.
"He wrote to me after his victory to say he knew every metre of the finale thanks to those years," Gilles Pidcock, who is in charge of junior development team Camsmajaco linked to WorldTour squad INEOS Grenadiers, said in an interview for L'Équipe.
It's under Pidcock's supervision that Brennan competed in junior ranks, including at the under-19 version of Kuurne, with a 10th place as his better result in his two participations. However the experience itself later proved invaluable to the Brit.
Resilience and character in the hard moments
Pidcock also recalls an episode that, for him, defines the rider. In one race, Brennan crashed on a pavé sector and spent several minutes on the ground with heavy pain in his leg. Yet he got back on the bike and, after a long chase of around thirty kilometres, rejoined the peloton.
"It was brilliant. You learn a lot about a rider in those kinds of situations." According to his ex-coach, those are the experiences that truly measure a rider’s scope.
Matthew Brennan celebrates one of his many victories
Now with Visma | Lease a Bike, Brennan has started like a rocket, stacking 14 professional wins at just 20 years old, 12 of them in his explosive 2025 season. His rise, however, was not always linear. In his first season (with the development team), the team detected fluctuations in performance. Especially at the big appointments: "He performed well, but his level dipped as the major races approached."
The doubts pointed to possible physical or preparation gaps, but the key lay elsewhere. Shortly before his decisive breakthrough, he was diagnosed with coeliac disease, which directly affected his ability to absorb nutrients. "He was racing on empty and still managing to perform."
Once the problem was identified, the change was immediate: "In his first year at Visma, he completely transformed and put on weight."
Pidcock describes Brennan as a rider with rare, natural power. Beyond the physique, one trait sets him apart: his mindset. From a young age he showed a constant curiosity to understand the why behind every detail, something that fits perfectly with the Dutch team’s philosophy.
A leader since the junior ranks
Perhaps Brennan’s most striking early trait wasn’t in his legs but in his role within the group. According to his coach, his influence was such that his teammates gave him a telling nickname: "When Matty arrived, all the boys called him 'dad' because he was the most considerate, the example-setter, the leader who gave advice."
Even away from racing, that maturity was clear. On trips, he sat up front in the vehicle alongside the coach, holding conversations that went far beyond cycling, touching on politics, economics, and current affairs.
A precocious profile that explains why, years later, Matthew Brennan stands out not only for his results, but also for a personality that signalled high potential from the start.
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Ondrej ZhasilCycling Journalist
Ondřej Zhasil is a cycling journalist at CyclingUpToDate and has been part of the team since 2023. He is based in Ostrava, the third-largest city in the Czech Republic, and covers professional cycling across the main UCI competitions, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España. A key focus of his work is startlist analysis and pre-race coverage, where he examines team selections, rider line-ups, and tactical scenarios ahead of major events.
Alongside WorldTour coverage, Ondřej has developed specific expertise in junior cycling and in racing across East Asia, including competitions in China and Japan. He also maintains a broad working knowledge of other disciplines and levels, including cyclocross, while continuing to expand his understanding of mountain bike racing.
Ondřej holds a bachelor’s degree in Mathematics and Physics, which supports his analytical, data-driven approach to performance and race analysis. In his reporting, he regularly uses ProCyclingStats for results, statistics, and historical context. He places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles promptly when new, verified information becomes available.
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