Matthew Brennan receives yellow card for dangerous move on Tour de Pologne stage 1

Matthew Brennan has been handed a yellow card after a risky move during the sprint finale of stage 1 at the Tour de Pologne. The British rider played a key role in setting up Olav Kooij’s victory, but his execution came under scrutiny. In the final kilometres, Brennan abruptly veered right while looking over his shoulder, nearly taking down Fernando Gaviria. That action was deemed dangerous and earned him a penalty from race officials.

The incident happened after a crash near the front of the peloton disrupted several lead-out trains. Brennan, having completed his job at the head of the group, dramatically peeled off, forcing others to slam the brakes. Gaviria barely stayed upright, and riders like Paul Magnier saw their sprints unravel. When the sprint resumed, Tim Torn Teutenberg launched early, but it was Kooij who came through late and fastest, taking the stage win. Brennan’s maneuver cost him 500 Swiss francs, five points in the points classification, and a demotion to last place in the stage results.

Despite the ruling, the team remained upbeat. Sports director Jesper Mørkøv said in a team press release, “The team did an excellent job today, and it was rewarded in the end. Steven rode on the front for most of the day to keep the early break within reach.

"Then it was up to the rest of the team to get Olav into a strong position for the sprint. The finale was chaotic; everyone was scattered for a while, but Olav knows better than anyone how to navigate the bunch. It’s a great feeling to start this race with a victory.”

Kooij, celebrating his fourth consecutive year with a stage win at the Polish race, added, “I’m pleased I could reward the team with this win. Everyone contributed from the start. We executed our plan well, despite the chaos in the final kilometres.

“We briefly lost each other in the chaos, but I managed to move to the front at just the right moment. It’s the fourth year in a row I’ve won a stage here. I already had many positive memories of this race, so it’s great to add another one.”