OFFICIAL: Matthew Brennan out of Milano-Sanremo; Visma led by Wout Van Aert, Matteo Jorgenson and Christophe Laporte
Cycling
Team Visma | Lease a Bike have made a last-minute change to their plans for Milano-Sanremo. Whilst Wout Van Aert remains the team's headliner, its main sprinting option in Matthew Brennan has fallen ill and will skip the first monument of the season.
The 20-year old rider won Kuurne - Bruxelles - Kuurne, his last race day, and was to begin here the most important part of the spring classics. He will still race multiple cobbled classics including both the Tour of Flanders and Paris-Roubaix, but not Sanremo where on paper, his climbing and sprinting abilities would make him a dangerous outsider.
Visma will be well covered however, as Brennan was to be one of four cards that could be played. Wout Van Aert remains in the lead of the lineup, which has been confirmed this morning. Christophe Laporte will act as a second option whilst Matteo Jorgenson will be a more diverse card to play, taking into consideration his current form and how the Cipressa may be raced.
What matters the most for all three riders will be positioning into Cipressa, but the team carries tremendous amounts of firepower for this. Brennan is being replaced by Victor Campenaerts who recently showed formidable form at Paris-Nice and last year already had spectacular legs on Sanremo's climbs.
He and Timo Kielich might be saved a little as they can climb quite well; the positioning duties will be carried out mostly by Edoardo Affini and Owain Doull, two powerhouse rouleurs. It is a very strong lineup taking into consideration the race's needs. Visma have said at the start of the season they aim to win a monument and this is the one that is more open and thus has the potential for the Dutch team to succeed.
Team Visma | Lease a Bike for 2026 Milano-Sanremo
| Rider |
| Matteo Jorgenson |
| Victor Campenaerts |
| Wout Van Aert |
| Christophe Laporte |
| Timo Kielich |
| Owain Doull |
| Edoardo Affini |
🇮🇹 #MilanoSanremo
— Team Visma | Lease a Bike (@vismaleaseabike) March 20, 2026
It’s almost time for the first monument of the season 🤩
Our boys are ready to race in Milano-Sanremo🐝 pic.twitter.com/LKOoaDFMZ6
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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