‘He is very special’: Brennan has moved to center of Visma’s ambitions in rookie WorldTour season, and he’s not even started training like a pro.
Updated September 1, 2025 08:33AM
Only Tadej Pogačar, Tim Merlier, and Mads Pedersen have won more times this year than WorldTour rookie Matthew Brennan.
And there could be more to come from Visma-Lease a Bike’s British bulldozer.
The 20-year-old is well placed to add a couple more victories to his sensational 11-win season this week at his home race the Tour of Britain.
“Matthew is a very special guy. There’s a lot more to discover in him,” Visma-Lease a Bike head of development Robert de Groot recently told Het Laatste Nieuws.
“He isn’t a pure sprinter, but he’s very fast. Some call him ‘the new Sagan,’ others ‘the new Cavendish.’ But we prefer not to do that.”
Brennan dovetails with Olav Kooij this week for the “Killer Bees” at the six-day British tour.
Visma’s deadly double is poised to dominate a race loaded with at least three sprint finishes and few first-class fast-finishing rivals.
Can Brennan claim a 12th pro victory in what’s only his first season in the WorldTour?
It’s in the cards.
Van Aert hails apprentice Brennan: ‘Barely 20 but races like he’s 30’
Visma-Lease a Bike is going slowly with Brennan, who is signed through 2027. (Photo: Federico Gambarini/picture alliance via Getty Images )
Brennan lands into Britain hot off the back of collecting two more wins while undergoing “The Van Aert Finishing School” last month at the Deutschland Tour.
Wout van Aert played mentor for Brennan last month in Germany.
The Belgian superstar was so impressed he stamped his young teammate with the official “Wout Seal of Approval.”
“He’s barely 20, but he already races and talks like he’s 30,” Van Aert said of Brennan. “I already have the feeling he has little to learn. His greatest strength is that he remains calm and cool in all situations.
“At 20, I’d ridden the Tour of Belgium once, at best,” Van Aert told Het Nieuwsblad. “I was happy to just stay on the wheel in the final ten kilometers at that age.
“We know young guys grow up much faster these days. But this one here is very special. That much is certain.”
Beating Milan and breaking records: ‘This gives me a lot of confidence’
Brennan beat Tour de France green jersey Milan at the Tour of Germany. (Photo: Federico Gambarini/picture alliance via Getty Images)
Brennan became the youngest ever male rider to rack 10 pro wins in August when he won the first road stage in Deutschland.
At 20 years and 15 days old, he was two weeks quicker than the previous fastest Remco Evenepoel.
And while doubters might point out that Brennan’s only won four times at the WorldTour level, he’s got an ace up his sleeve.
This tough-guy classics-style fastman beat Tour de France green jersey and pure watt-monster Jonathan Milan to the line the day he reached double figures.
“A few weeks ago I was sitting on the couch watching the Tour de France. You see world-class sprinters like Jonathan Milan fighting it out there. For me, it was a great benchmark to go up against him here at the Deutschland Tour,” Brennan said last month.
“Beating a sprinter of his caliber gives me a lot of confidence.”
You can only beat who’s at the start line, at the races you’re selected for.
Brennan just beat one of the best.
From ‘Mini Roubaix’ junior to long-term WorldTour contract for Brennan
Brennan went deep into the final with the cobblestone bigs at his debut Paris-Roubaix. (Photo: Luc Claessen/Getty Images )
Brennan has been creeping toward the center of Visma-Lease a Bike’s ambitions since early this season.
He won the “Mini-Roubaix” GP Denain in March on a temporary promotion from the junior team and played “MVP” to Van Aert at the senior Paris-Roubaix a few weeks later.
Brennan is now set to ride with Van Aert at Visma-Lease a Bike through 2027 with a freshly inked WorldTour contract.
It will be intriguing to see how Visma-Lease a Bike plays Kooij and Brennan at the Tour of Britain, starting Tuesday.
Kooij and Brennan both top the sprinter pack above Alexander Kristoff, Alberto Daniese, and U.S. talent Luke Lamperti.
On paper, pure speedster Kooij is better suited to the dead-flat opening stages across eastern England.
But on the team bus, the Dutchman’s reported move next year to Decathlon-CMA ACM may cause complications.
“Things are going really well so far,” Brennan said last month in Germany. “I’ve been able to develop as a rider again this week.
“It’s nice to be surrounded by experienced guys like Steven Kruijswijk and Wout. They teach us younger riders a lot,” he said. “I hope to continue this trend in the Tour of Britain.”
‘He’s not fully developed yet … he’s not even been to altitude’
Visma-Lease a Bike is going slowly with Brennan, who is signed through 2027. (Photo: Christian Kaspar-Bartke/Getty Images)
Brennan might not be bothered if he doesn’t win a 12th pro victory in Britain.
He’s got time on his side, and he and Visma-Lease a Bike know it.
“That guy isn’t training like a pro yet,” said team development chief De Groot. “When he came to us as a junior, he trained 10 hours a week, and today he’s still not at 25 hours.
“That wouldn’t work anyway – his body wouldn’t be able to handle it. We’re taking it one step at a time.”
Visma-Lease a Bike is going slowly-slowly with Brennan, even though the Brit’s raging fast.
“There’s still a lot we don’t know about his limits, but Matthew isn’t fully developed yet,” De Groot said.
“For example, he’s never been to altitude camp. He doesn’t weigh his food yet, either. That will come later. For now, he’s still following his gut.”
Don’t be surprised to see Brennan’s gut instincts deliver him to win no.12 and maybe more this week.