Matthew Brennan furious after crash-ridden finale: "If you’re willing to risk it at 160 watts, then I think you’re a bit crazy"
CyclingSaturday, 29 August 2026 at 19:00
Stage 8 of the Vuelta a España was perhaps the calmest day in terms of watts, but the hardest day in terms of crashes so far in this race. Team Visma | Lease a Bike's Matthew Brennan was left furious after seeing the risks taken around him on the race's third bunch sprint.
The Briton was the man to beat on this Saturday's stage, and had his Visma teammates not only work for him all day long, but also perform a leadout with Wout Van Aert and Christophe Laporte in the final kilometers.
If Brennan had been in their wheel, a win would've been hard to miss. But the Briton didn't quite manage to do the same as he had on the previous two sprint stages.
Brennan livid with the risks taken by rivals
"There were a lot of crashes today, and I think that kind of set the tone for the day. A lot of people thought, I think, that they were superheroes today," he said in a post-race interview, making his mood clear right from the start.
Bunch sprints have been becoming increasingly more dangerous, and for that reason some riders - including Wout Van Aert - have not been part of them often. Brennan, 21, is part of sprinting's 'new age'. But today, he was not happy in the peloton.
“I’m willing to risk it a little bit, but when I get some people who are happy to fall off for the risk of the win, I’m not super comfortable with that".
Brennan (right) trying to gain positions in the final sprint
A slow day, packed with crashes
The Briton crossed the finish line in a modest 10th place, not able to bring the hoped result after the team's work throughout the day. He lost the wheel of his leadout in the final kilometer, where a mass crash also took place.
“The team tried their best. I tried to follow Christophe [Laporte], but in the end these people were too aggressive for my liking, so I lost the wheel, and then I couldn’t really go from any good place.”
The eighth day of the race was marked by crashes, several of them including large amounts of riders - right from the neutralized start. This saw Tadej Pogacar abandon in the final hour of the race.
What took Brennan by surprise was the fact that this happened on a day where the riders' efforts were nowhere near those of previous days.
“You see it all day. Considering it was, you know, I think I did like three hours, 160 watts. So I don’t know what people are doing. But, yeah, if you’re willing to risk it at 160 watts, then I think you’re a bit crazy. But it is what it is.”
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The team managed to consolidate its lead in the points classification with Wout Van Aert; whilst Sepp Kuss has moved up a place and has seen his chances of finishing on the final podium increase. But Brennan wasn't able to accomplish his own goal.
“Tomorrow won’t be a day for me, but I’ve already won two stages, so it’s not like I’m chasing anything in particular,” he assured to the media at the finish line nevertheless. “But, yeah, we can always try again. That’s the beauty of a Grand Tour.”
Rúben SilvaEditor-in-Chief
A founding contributor to CyclingUpToDate since its launch in January 2022, Ruben Silva has played a central role in shaping the site’s editorial direction and long-term growth. Before joining the project, he built his experience through independent blogging at Echelons Hub and by producing race previews for Ciclismo Internacional, developing a strong analytical voice rooted in daily engagement with professional cycling.
Beyond editorial work, he has been closely involved in the expansion and coordination of CyclingUpToDate’s wider network, helping establish and support sister platforms across multiple languages. This includes ongoing collaboration with CiclismoAlDia (Spanish), CiclismoAtual (Portuguese), WielrennenUpToDate (Dutch), and RadsportAktuell (German), contributing to a shared editorial vision and consistent international coverage.
He also helps oversee editorial governance across the network, setting standards for accuracy and consistency and coordinating updates or corrections when needed.
Originally from the Porto metropolitan area in Portugal, he holds a bachelor’s degree in Geography. His path into cycling journalism was shaped not through formal media training, but through independent reporting, community engagement, and sustained on-the-ground involvement in the sport.
Over the course of his career, he has conducted approximately 100 interviews across road cycling and cyclocross, ranging from one-to-one conversations and online formats to press conferences and on-site pre- and post-race coverage. His interviews include leading riders, team managers, and prominent figures within cycling media: Tadej Pogacar, Jonas Vingegaard, Mathieu van der Poel, Primoz Roglic, Wout van Aert, Joao Almeida and Tom Pidcock; managers like Patrick Lefevere and Joxean Matxin; and YouTube personality Bryan Kennedy (BKXC)...
Within 18 months of launch, he helped grow CyclingUpToDate’s English-language platform into one of the most-read cycling news websites, built entirely from the ground up. As both a professional journalist and lifelong cycling enthusiast, his focus remains on delivering accurate, timely, and well-contextualized coverage.
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- I guess Mas won’t be 2nd 4 times after all, as I suggested.Mistermaumau29-08-2026
- Reminds me of when Contador crashed as he was taking a swig just when something in the road threw him off balance. I know signalling seems to be becoming less and less important but if it’s down to a rock that big you have to ask if everyone up front decided to ignore it or the info just wasn’t passed on all the way back. Anyone see anything along those lines?Mistermaumau29-08-2026
- Absolutely gutted to see Pogi go out like this. From the helicopter it was hard to understand what happened. Commentators were saying maybe he was hit from behind. Now I’ve seen on IG:Luca yclingblog (front view) that it was a rock that brought him down. Head trauma and possible broken collarbone. He’s not coming back this year. So sad.Pedalmasher29-08-2026
- It looked like just terrible luck…a big piece of asphalt or a rock on the road. Going 50 km/h inside the peloton, no chance of seeing it until it’s on your wheel.DAS29-08-2026
- Damn.
MarkFour29-08-2026 - Hope it’s nothing too serious but this had to happen one day, luck has been generous long enough. Weird it happened after so much talk of his mental state, did recent days affect him more than a 5am drug test? Guess we’ll see a new side of the Mou or his latest impersonator now.Mistermaumau29-08-2026
- Possibly concussion too? That could take longer to heal.Hills3329-08-2026
- Hate to see this - it’s a brutal reminder that nothing is certain until the final finish lineCrashjames29-08-2026
- Correction: Seeing Tadej in the ambulance puts everything into perspective. Forget the Worlds, I just hope he's okay. That looks awful.anonymouscyclist29-08-2026
- Massive respect to Mas, it was incredibly honourable of him to decline the red jersey. Refusing to after a rival's misfortune shows real integrity and class. That being said, Mas has ridden a flawless race from the start. If anyone deserves that jersey after Tadej, it is him. At the same time, you have to feel for Tadej. It would be a heartbreak if this derails his shot at a Triple World Champs.anonymouscyclist29-08-2026
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