“He’s the sprinter of the future” – Matthew Brennan hailed inside Visma after statement Tour Down Under win

Matthew Brennan’s Tour Down Under victory was built on conviction rather than opportunism, with Team Visma | Lease a Bike committing fully to the 20-year-old in the closing kilometres of the final stage and being rewarded with a decisive sprint victory.

Inside the team, there was little sense of surprise. Those closest to the effort had identified the stage early as Brennan’s best remaining chance and rode accordingly, even as the race refused to settle.

Filippo Fiorelli, riding his first WorldTour race with the team, described a day that offered no respite but demanded belief from start to finish.

“Today was the hardest stage, there was never a moment to breathe,” he said post-stage. “But we knew it would be the right opportunity for Matthew and we believed in it from the beginning.”

As the race approached its decisive phase, the gap to the breakaway remained stubbornly large. Rather than wait, Fiorelli took responsibility to force the issue. “With six kilometres to go before the final climb, I saw the gap was still significant, so I committed fully to closing it,” he explained. “After that, my teammates finished the work.”

That effort allowed Visma to arrive at the finale in control and position Brennan exactly where he needed to be. After narrowly missing out earlier in the week, the Brit this time converted cleanly.

For Fiorelli, the role he played was central to why he was recruited. “Visma chose me for this reason, to work and try to bring my leaders to victory,” he said. “I’m happy to have contributed to Brennan’s success.”

The praise inside the team went beyond the single stage. Fiorelli pointed to Brennan’s trajectory rather than just the result. “He’s the sprinter of the future,” he said. “He showed it last year, and he’s confirmed it again at the start of this season.”

That assessment helps explain why Visma persisted with the same approach across the week, even when execution was not perfect. Brennan already arrived in Australia with WorldTour wins to his name, but this was a victory delivered entirely by a team riding with clarity around its leader.

Fiorelli also acknowledged the step up in the environment. “At the school of the Reverberi family, I learned a lot, but here we’re in another dimension,” he said, underlining the contrast in structure and expectation.

The Tour Down Under win sets the tone for both riders’ seasons. Fiorelli confirmed that he will remain in Australia for two further races before returning to Europe for Ruta del Sol, Kuurne, Strade Bianche and Tirreno Adriatico, working for leaders including Brennan, Christophe Laporte and Wout van Aert.

For Brennan, the message from within Visma is unambiguous. This was not a consolation prize or a development exercise. It was a race identified, ridden and won with him as the clear focal point.

The belief was there before the stage began. The execution finally matched it at the end.