"I was kind of hugging Pogacar’s wheel": Matthew Brennan on a chaotic Paris-Roubaix debut

Matthew Brennan has arguably been the biggest surprise of the season, going from an unknown to a star. The British rider won twelve professional races during the 2025 campaign and finished the year with fourteen victories in total. His outstanding performances even earned him a place on one of the cycling's biggest races: Paris-Roubaix, where he managed to finish in a respectable 44 place.

Speaking on the Inside The Beehive podcast, Brennan described his debut as completely "chaotic", although it was a very helpful learning experience for the future. "I remember I took some caffeine quite early on, which made me really, really nervous going into the sectors."

From the start, Brennan clearly knew whose wheel he had to follow. "I was kind of hugging Pogacar's wheel a little bit, because I knew: this guy is a pretty safe wheel to follow."

Van der Poel could have been another option for many riders, but not for Brennan. "He was all over the place, on kerbs etcetera, following everyone. I was like: I am not getting involved in that, that is way too skilled for me. I just sat on Pogacar's, and I was looking if Wout was around, or Edoardo Affini."

The decisive moment came after the Trouée d’Arenberg. Brennan vividly remembers Van der Poel’s attack. "I remember coming from Arenberg and I see Van der Poel attacking and I said to myself: argh... You're tired and you just see this guy drop the biggest watt-bomb that you could see. He went full gas down the road and that was where I cracked, I think."

"I did that effort and after that I was gone. It was also a tricky situation with Wout behind. You're 19 years old and you're in the front of a bike race in key moments, your leader is behind you, and you're not sure what to do. You kind of follow the decisions you want to make."

The leader of the team that day was Wout van Aert, who came from behind and ended in fourth place despite losing contact with Pogacar and Van der Poel a bit too early. "Wout really showed how strong he was that day. I cracked completely, but he was a proper diesel. He kept going till the end. He finished fourth that day and people mock that result."

Criticizing the Belgian star after that performance makes no sense for Brennan. "Why don't they go and ride Roubaix themselves and find out how hard it is to even get a fourth place? If you consider that as Wout having a bad day on the bike, then let's see when he is having a good day," he concluded.

Having such a season at just 19 showed what an emerging talent Brennan is, and Visma obviously wanted to secure his services for many years to come. They recently managed to do so, as they announced they have reached an agreement with the British wonderkid to extend his contract until 2029.  

“The environment in this team is so unique: it is partly thanks to the team that I have already been able to develop myself so much. Everyone can help me become a better rider, both the staff and the other riders. And on top of that, I feel the trust I need here. I am happy here and very grateful for the opportunity to take the next steps in my career over such a long period and without pressure,” Brennan said.