“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.
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- Liege or Amstel are a little different. Only he knows what really works for him. I'm a bit disappointed that he is not going to focus on any other races potentially until the Dauphine. If you don't have race days in the legs no matter how good you are it generally gives a negative result. I had argued that he knew what works for him the other day but he seems to have maybe a mental block or is still a bit gun shy from last year's crash, which to be honest, was pretty bad. He might be in his last season or two. I hope not because he can still do quite a bit of winning if he gets his head right.awp26-03-2025
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KerisVroom26-03-2025 - Good for him but not exactly the most competitive field, though better than what Froome would try ;-) Let’s wait and see if he can keep things up over time.Mistermaumau25-03-2025