"We have a team full of great champions" - Visma depth provides Matthew Brennan with a new Vuelta win
CyclingWednesday, 02 September 2026 at 19:06
The Vuelta a España has a clear dominant figure in the sprints: Matthew Brennan. The British rider managed to take his third win of the race this afternoon in Lorca, at the end of a day where Team Visma | Lease a Bike did a lot of work to set it up for him.
It wasn't a triumph that came across as unexpected, but the Dutch team had a tough task at hand to control the many attacks that threatened to disrupt the chances of a bunch sprint coming to be.
The breakaway of the day was kept tight; and Wout Van Aert himself was covering attacks towards the end of the stage. But like this previous win, the team had enough resources to control the day, and set up a perfect leadout.
Van Aert leads out Brennan to victory
"The guys rode as hard as they could. Even after yesterday’s tough day, we went all out again today,” Brennan said in a post-race interview. Christophe Laporte and Wout Van Aert made sure they delivered the team's main option in pole position to the bunch sprint.
“We knew we were strong enough to get to the right place. In the last ten kilometers, the guys did a fantastic job positioning us well and keeping us out of trouble. In the end, we crossed the finish line first, so we are incredibly happy with that.”
Brennan was able to beat Bryan Coquard and Jordi Meeus, hence taking his third stage of the race, following stages 2 and 5.
Brennan and Van Aert cross the line to take Visma's third win of the race
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A team of champions
Bu noy only were his leadout men praised, but also the team as a whole. Steven Kruijswijk and Bruno Armirail, once again, spent large amounts of time at he head of the peloton keeping the race at bay. “It is huge. We have a team full of great champions.”
“There are guys on the team who have stood on the podium of Grand Tours and even won them," he praises. In his first ever three-week race, Brennan is finishing off the work of Visma.
"Others have major classics and huge races to their name. The fact that they ride for me time and again is a great opportunity. I am incredibly grateful to them for giving it their all for me every time.”
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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