“Sprinters always have plenty of opportunities to shine in their specialist discipline but rarely has one of their number enjoyed the kind of absolute dominance that he now wields.”
These words are not about Matthew Brennan, who has won five stages at this year’s Vuelta a España, his debut Grand Tour, but very well could be. The 21-year-old has looked unbeatable in sprint finishes across Spain, becoming the youngest rider ever to win five Grand Tour stages, the latest coming on Thursday in Seville, as he continued to make everything look easy.
The above quote, written by Richard Williams in The Guardian in 2009, was about Mark Cavendish – long before he was a knight – after he won his sixth and final stage of that year’s Tour de France. At that year’s race, the 24-year-old was leagues ahead of everyone else in fast finishes, popping out at exactly the right time as the line approached, then accelerating out of sight.
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Brennan has aped this at the Vuelta, timing his efforts to perfection, and winning by a bike length as he crosses the line, such that he’s almost gaining time on his rivals. This might be the sprinter-unfriendly Vuelta, and most of the other best fast-men in the world might be elsewhere, but you can only beat what’s in front of you, and Brennan has been demolishing the available competition. One sprint win in his first three-week race would have been impressive, but to take five, the final two deep into the third week, shows that he doesn’t just have the speed, he has the endurance.
The comparisons to Cavendish have been rolling in, understandably so. They’re roughly the same height (although Brennan is taller, importantly) and have both stormed into the public consciousness by dominating sprints at Grand Tours. However, these comparisons are arguably overly simplistic, and understood to not find favour with Brennan himself; this makes sense, given he is his own man, with his own future.
(Image credit: Getty Images)
They are different riders, and I really think Brennan could be even better than Cavendish. Perhaps not in terms of sheer magnitude of victories, given Cavendish won 165 times, including a record 35 times at the Tour de France, but perhaps in terms of the breadth of wins. That said, Brennan has already won 23 professional victories at 21; Cavendish was yet to open his account at the same age. The future is bright.
Brennan might look like an out-and-out speed merchant at this Vuelta, but he is a more versatile rider. The man from Darlington is still developing on the bike, but he looks like he has more of a punch than a pure sprinter, and could target the Classics as much as bunch finishes; he won Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurnes this year, and it isn’t too much of a reach to imagine him winning Paris-Roubaix.
Stage 13 of this year’s Vuelta was evidence of Brennan’s versatility, as he was the perfect teammate to Wout van Aert in the breakaway, marking moves, chasing down attackers, and setting up the Belgian to take victory. It’s not something that Cavendish made a habit of, becoming a domestique for the day, but Brennan is clearly willing and able to use his talent in the service of others.
There was some concern that Brennan would never be able to back up his stunning debut season, with 2025 bringing 12 pro wins, which is why we chose him as Cycling Weekly’s male rider of the year, but this has been dispelled. He has not only matched his tally from last year, but shown off on one of the biggest stages of them all.
Next year’s Tour de France begins in Edinburgh, with a bunch sprint expected in Carlisle. The level will be higher, with the world’s best sprinters present, and immense pressure, but there is a real possibility of Brennan pulling on yellow after winning his first Tour stage on home soil. Imagine the pandemonium.
On Thursday, he said: “I think it’s a really good stepping stone for next year’s ambitions, and it gives me a lot of confidence to just be in the peloton with all these good guys. It’s an unbelievable situation we’re in.”
Brennan is the real deal, and these five victories are no fluke, no flat-track century. There are sterner tests to come, but Matthew Brennan is here, and is the future of British cycling. Tell your friends at the pub, and remember the name – the hype. He had better start believing
