"I’ll never forget these victories for the rest of my life" - Matthew Brennan overjoyed after GC win in Norway
Cycling
A bit in the shadow of the third week of Giro d'Italia, the Tour of Norway took place last week. Those followed closely witnessed an absolute dominance of one man - Matthew Brennan. The sprinter gem of Visma | Lease a Bike was never worse than second over the four stages and comfortably secure a GC victory after a sprint win in last stage.
"This is beautiful," Brennan shared his impressions in a press release on a team website. The technical circuit on Sunday required more than just fast legs. "It was treacherous and super hectic in the final."
It wasn't automatically that the sprinters got to fight it out for a victory in Stavanger. A strong breakaway formed up ahead and it was only with 2 kilometers to go that their resist was broken. "Thanks to the good work of the team, we were able to sprint again."
In the finale, the Uno-X Mobility sprint train took over the front and Alexander Kristoff seemed on his way to go back-to-back in Stavanger. Until Brennan peeked from his wheel and won with a well-timed bike throw. "It was very close, but I had the feeling that I caught Kristoff at the finish. Fortunately, that turned out to be true. It was still exciting for a while, but I am happy and relieved that I was able to win today."
Next to two stage wins, Brennan also brings home the overall triumph. The 19-year-old is very grateful to his team for the support over past week. "Without them, this really wouldn’t have been possible. We rode as a close-knit team in the past few days. I think we showed some really great things. It’s my first win in a general classification as a professional rider. I’ll never forget these victories for the rest of my life."
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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- wtf dudemij07-11-2026
- big rival … ridiculous.Ketterechts07-11-2026
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MarkFour07-11-2026 - This is a really interesting idea, which, if well prepared could even be very successful. Very little money needs to be involved for a first season and any success could lead to rapid interest from sponsors.Jumpyjohn07-11-2026
- Hmmm, you seem to have a very convenient black and white view of things. Perhaps you haven’t been around much to discover how complex problems can become over time with people who know how to control, manipulate (or worse) others so gradually or subtly that you arrive at an irresolvable situation before you realise. This is how many inconveniences get introduced to the young, naïve, passionate or “desperate”, knowing they are not armed, protected or strong enough to defend themselves once it’s too late. Why do you think omerta culture is so widespread, why do you think so many people continue to go through so many awful things in life that others can’t understand anyone getting into? Life may be far more jolly for you but you would do well to understand (or reflect more on) the real world to refrain from being so quick to criticise those in a hard spot that may have genuine reason for speaking out.Jumpyjohn07-11-2026
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- How is radio going to help when someone went over a cliff or bridge or off the roadside into a forest unnoticed and is laying there unconscious?Jumpyjohn07-11-2026
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