The Matthew Brennan Threat

[Oldman]

If Van Aert can ride the Tour selfishly, why not Brennan too in a few years?

Why not, indeed? It may be JV's best strategy for actual wins.

 

[KZD]

Speaking about Brennan, here its his schedule for 2026:

- Tour Down Under
- Omloop
- Kuurne
- Milan San Remo
- Gent Wevelgem
- Dwars door Vlaanderen
- Ronde van Vlaanderen
- Paris Roubaix
- Tour de Suisse
- Vuelta a España

Only 39 race days, so I expect a couple more races to be add in the second half of the season.

The Vuelta route looks perfect for him, up to 10 stages where he can contend, even though a few of those will probably go to the breakaway or to Van Aert.

 

[pastronef]

Speaking about Brennan, here its his schedule for 2026:

- Tour Down Under
- Omloop
- Kuurne
- Milan San Remo
- Gent Wevelgem
- Dwars door Vlaanderen
- Ronde van Vlaanderen
- Paris Roubaix
- Tour de Suisse
- Vuelta a España

Only 39 race days, so I expect a couple more races to be add in the second half of the season.

The Vuelta route looks perfect for him, up to 10 stages where he can contend, even though a few of those will probably go to the breakaway or to Van Aert.

maybe he can add E3 and De Panne and Brabantse Pijl

 

[HashRouge]

Is it hot take to say he wins MSR? I tend to think he can handle last climb and in the end he can take on anyone, anyone.. But how the last downhill goes for him after all out fight/attack. Looks like his endurance is ok, but team needs to keep escapees in tight leash through Cipressa.

It's definitely a race I can see him winning, but maybe not yet. The way Pogacar rode MSR last year wouldn't suit him, and I can see it going the same way this year. Though maybe not - now the other teams know Pogacar will try on the Cipressa, they may work even harder to stop the UAE domestiques getting into good positions.

 

[Hugo Koblet]

Speaking about Brennan, here its his schedule for 2026:

- Tour Down Under
- Omloop
- Kuurne
- Milan San Remo
- Gent Wevelgem
- Dwars door Vlaanderen
- Ronde van Vlaanderen
- Paris Roubaix
- Tour de Suisse
- Vuelta a España

Only 39 race days, so I expect a couple more races to be add in the second half of the season.

The Vuelta route looks perfect for him, up to 10 stages where he can contend, even though a few of those will probably go to the breakaway or to Van Aert.

I would expect him to do a warm up race before the Vuelta. Tour of Denmark, for instance. But I also think that Visma is careful to not overdo it. Their riders usually don't have that many race days, so I understand why they would want to nurse Brennan a bit this season.

 

[Squire]

Tour de Suisse seems a bit useless. Why not farm some more suitable races, like some French/Belgian late May/mid June non-WT races before the nationals. Like Hugo, I also expect something like Tour of Denmark or the WT one-dayers in August as warm-up for the Vuelta. Probably the latter, as he can get some actual prestigious results there.

 

[Netserk]

suisse - pologne - vuelta is the sagan '11 schedule