RISING TO THE CALL

Five wins in eight days is a streak few neo-pros can imagine, let alone achieve. Chris Marshall-Bell meets Britain's fastest-rising star, Matthew Brennan

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Two years ago Matthew Brennan was standing by a window in Visma-Lease a Bike’s service course in the Netherlands, gazing out over rows of bikes, spare parts and team vehicles. “This is cool,” he remembers thinking.

“I felt like Batman looking out over his empire.” The superhero comparison was tongue-in-cheek, of course - Brennan was just a 17-year-old sixth-former visiting one of the world’s top teams - a team en route to winning all three of 2023’s Grand Tours - but in hindsight his first impression was prophetic.

Since stepping up to the U23 ranks, Brennan has been unstoppable: winning his first two races, earning a rapid promotion to the WorldTour squad, and then notching up five wins in eight days - two at WorldTour level - in a spring blitz rounded out with a fearless performance at Paris-Roubaix. Suddenly Britain has a new cycling sensation - one who can sprint, master the cobbles and thrive on punchy climbs.

Hailing from the north-eastern town of Darlington - better known as the birthplace of the world’s first public railway than as a hotbed for cycling talent - Brennan was born into a sporty family. His father Kevin raced for Great Britain as a junior, and his mother Jean was a competitive triathlete.

“They both like to take credit for their little part,” Brennan laughs as we chat at his team’s hotel during the Volta a Catalunya, just 24 hours after his maiden WorldTour win. “Dad was quite sprinty, and Mum had a good VO2 max.” The 19-year-old’s younger brother, Thomas, is also a promising cyclist.