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

 

[will-10]

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.

Do we have a Suisse route yet?

 

[Squire]

Do we have a Suisse route yet?

Will be announced in March.

Considering it's shortened to five days, I don't expect there to be tons of sprint opportunities. Although 'more circuits', which the race also will have, sounds like it could be more up Brennan's alley. So we'll see how much the organizers manage to destroy the race with their 'maximum added value'.

 

[memyselfandI]

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.

Yeah I wish Visma is careful with him, as there's next versatile sprinter superstar brewing here. Next Freire could be, no? He's very young and it's so very delicate balancing to keep that explosive output and still grow the overall performance level to Grand Tours and top end Classics.

 

[hayneplane]

Yeah I wish Visma is careful with him, as there's next versatile sprinter superstar brewing here. Next Freire could be, no? He's very young and it's so very delicate balancing to keep that explosive output and still grow the overall performance level to Grand Tours and top end Classics.

Currently profiling to be a Sagan regen. Hope they keep him as the hilly version going as that was a much more fun Sagan than the bulking up version to be more competitive in mass bunch sprints.

 

[tobydawq]

Currently profiling to be a Sagan regen. Hope they keep him as the hilly version going as that was a much more fun Sagan than the bulking up version to be more competitive in mass bunch sprints.

The big difference is that Brennan is already competitive in mass bunch sprints.

And it is undeniable that Sagan got his best monument results after bulking up, even if I also found him more fun before that.

 

[kingjr]

The big difference is that Brennan is already competitive in mass bunch sprints.

And it is undeniable that Sagan got his best monument results after bulking up, even if I also found him more fun before that.

You can always get more competitive, though. And Sagan was already competitive in bunch sprints as far back as 2011.

 

[hayneplane]

The big difference is that Brennan is already competitive in mass bunch sprints.

And it is undeniable that Sagan got his best monument results after bulking up, even if I also found him more fun before that.

A fair point although the only time he has beaten a top tier sprinter is at Deutschland Tour where it is questionable whether Milan was close to top form post TDF.

 

[memyselfandI]

I was thinking Sagan too, but also thought Freire. Because he was lightweight, even a bit lighter that Brennan. Freire in his best form challenged Boonen and Robbie McEwen pretty well. Triple MSR and WC and all that jazz..

 

[Devil's Elbow]

A fair point although the only time he has beaten a top tier sprinter is at Deutschland Tour where it is questionable whether Milan was close to top form post TDF.

The Deutschland Tour is also only time he's sprinted against a top-tier sprinter, not really fair to hold that against him.

 

[AlfaLum]

That was some impressive speed on the kid, who had to come from far back.

 

[proffate]

The big difference is that Brennan is already competitive in mass bunch sprints.

And it is undeniable that Sagan got his best monument results after bulking up, even if I also found him more fun before that.

I never really got the idea that Sagan had any particular intention behind the bulking. He simply enjoyed a good steak and had a relatively muscular build. If he had needed to compete with the likes of MVDP or Wout or even Mads then he would have been forced to optimize more.

Another similarity between the two is the early career start.

 

[AlfaLum]

Got caught out at some point, but otherwise a very impressive performance that shows he has the talent for the bigger Flandrien Classics as well.

The way he was able to ride to the front when he got back in touch with the main bunch on the Kruisberg was impressive. And the sprint was class to obviously as he doesnt seem to loose a lot of pace after a reasonable hard race.

 

[Netserk]

he started trieu at the back of the group and made it back at the start of kluisberg , it was impressive how quickly he got to the front and made the split shortly afterwards

 

[jmdirt]

Congrats MB!

 

[hayneplane]

Super impressive sprint today. Could well win DDV as well.

The Laporte/Brennan tandem has functioned well early on and with Wout back on board they can challenge to win any cobbled race that MVDP and Pogacar don’t show up to.

 

[Strawberry_Jams]

surprised he's not doing TA considering he is doing San Remo

 

[Rob5091]

Matthew Brennan is the new Cat Ferguson Cavendish

Is this real potential or a flash in the pan?

Edit: actually come to think of it, you missed a once in a lifetime opportunity to use bishop brennan in a thread title.

The bandwagon is a rollin' and is heading for Grand Départ 2027 ...
https://www.bbc.com/sport/cycling/articles/cp3298j39x9o

Matthew Brennan became the first Briton since cycling great Sir Mark Cavendish to win the Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurne one-day race in Belgium.

The 20-year-old's sprint finish was too much for his rivals as he surged to victory in the 195km race and followed Cavendish's success in 2012 and 2015.