“It’s only just sinking in now” – Is Matthew Brennan becoming Britain’s next great cycling hope?
Cycling
Nineteen-year-old Matthew Brennan is quickly making a name
for himself as one of cycling’s most exciting emerging talents. The British
rider, born in Darlington, continued his stunning start to the 2025 season by
winning the opening stage of the Volta a Catalunya, marking his fourth
consecutive stage victory and continuing a breakthrough campaign that has
caught the attention of fans and insiders alike.
Speaking before the second stage of the Volta a Catalunya to
Cycling Pro Net, Brennan admitted the success was still sinking in.
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“It’s only just sinking in now,” he said. “I even look back
at the footage from yesterday and I think, how the hell did I pull that one
off?”
Brennan described the wave of support and positive messages
he had received following his latest triumph.
“It was pretty cool. I've had a lot of nice messages from a
lot of people. It's been a really nice experience and, as a team, we're over
the moon really.”
Despite his youth and relatively short time in the
WorldTour, Brennan already exudes calm under pressure. Asked about his mindset
ahead of the following stage, he said, “We have a plan like we did yesterday
and we will go and execute it. Hopefully something positive comes from it.”
He acknowledged that the stage’s profile was different, with
a challenging finish and the potential for wind.
“We want to stay well-positioned. We know there can be maybe
a little bit of wind today, so it's basically staying out of trouble and
positioning well into the final. Hopefully we can get into the right place.”
Still just 19, Brennan’s versatility is already proving to
be a major asset. In recent weeks, he’s shown himself capable of competing in
cobbled classics, hilly finishes, and bunch sprints.
“I don’t know,” Brennan laughed. “It’s one that even the
coaches don’t even know what is, by the power profile. We’re just going step by
step at the moment. We look at what we can develop on and some strengths are
showing now – maybe in one or two years’ time, I’m a completely different bike
rider. So it’s an exciting journey.”
When asked about what type of finish he prefers, Brennan
replied, “Reduced bunch sprints – I quite like them. Something where it's been
a hard bike race and you're just surviving yourself, but you look behind and
go, ‘Ah, there's no one left,’ and then being able to sprint – I think that’s
what I’m quite enjoying at the moment.”
Brennan’s progression is not just about physical talent.
Since signing with the team, his maturity and leadership qualities have stood
out. Wielerflits spoke to members of his team, including Robbert de
Groot, Head of Development at the time Brennan turned professional.
“Apart from his physical qualities, which we are extremely
impressed with, we believe that Matthew is also a perfect fit for us in other
areas,” said de Groot. “For his age, he is already quite mature. Matthew shows
leadership qualities, communicates well, moves well in the group, and is very
eager to learn.”
His arrival was part of a carefully designed long-term plan,
spearheaded by then-sports manager Merijn Zeeman. Yet even those who helped
build that roadmap have been taken aback by the speed of Brennan’s rise.
“Matthew Brennan’s super-fast breakthrough is very special,”
they noted. “He can really arrive very well and is super fast. But his time
trial over short and medium distances is also very strong and he has the
quality to survive steep hills.”
In terms of comparisons, the team doesn’t see Brennan as a
direct successor to any one rider but offered an interesting blend of names.
“Does he resemble someone like Ethan Hayter? More like Simon Gerrans or Michael
Matthews.”
From the cobbles to the Catalan hills, Brennan is rapidly
proving he can be competitive across a variety of terrain. That versatility (combined
with a calm, grounded mentality and a thirst for learning) suggests his
potential is far from fully tapped.
And just at the stars he can learn from at Team Visma |
Lease a Bike. Jonas Vingegaard, Wout van Aert, Matteo Jorgenson, Sepp Kusss…Just
to name a few. What a wealth of advice he can receive from them.
The 2025 season may have only just begun, but Brennan is
already laying the groundwork for a career that promises to deliver much more.
And, he remains focused, humble, and eager to keep
developing, “I want to take it step by step and see where it takes me,” he
said, before heading off to line up for another day in the leader’s jersey.
Brennan is part of a talented crop of British talent
bursting onto the scene, just as British cycling needed it. With the likes of
Cavendish, Thomas and Froome either retired or soon to be retired, Brennan will
be hoping he can continue to be one of the riders that takes over.
Fin MajorCycling Journalist
Fin Major is a UK-based writer at CyclingUpToDate and has been part of the team since 2024. He is the site’s main writer for FAQs and evergreen explainers and has written around 2,000 pieces for the platform. Alongside this work, he focuses on in-depth analysis and covers the biggest races on the calendar, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España, providing clear context around performance trends, tactics, and key storylines.
In his reporting, Fin uses reputable data sources such as 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. Outside of writing, Fin is an active cyclist, which supports his practical understanding of the sport and its demands.
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