Bruyneel in awe of Brennan's Vuelta performance and points to Pogačar and Merckx stats: 'Extremely good rider'

Matthew Brennan is making a big impression at the Vuelta a España with his sprint victories, but according to Johan Bruyneel, it would be an understatement to label the young Brit solely as a sprinter. In THE MOVE, the Belgian discussed at length the development of the 21-year-old rider from Visma | Lease a Bike. Above all, the fact that Brennan has already racked up 22 professional wins at such a young age is leaving people speechless.

Brennan is only in his second season as a fully-fledged pro on a WorldTour team, although he did get a taste of the highest level in 2024 while riding for the Visma development team. In stage races and one-day events, Brennan took off like a man possessed starting in 2025. He won multiple stages in a single stage race on several occasions, but he has also claimed victories at Rund um Köln and Kuurne–Brussels–Kuurne.

By way of comparison to Brennan’s 22 victories, Bruyneel points out that Tadej Pogačar had only eight wins at that age (21) and Eddy Merckx had five, though he immediately emphasises that the three riders cannot be compared one-on-one. Brennan gets more opportunities as a sprinter, though Bruyneel doesn’t want to call him a “true sprinter,” based on everything he’s seen of him.

Brennan can handle a climb and therefore often has a tremendous finishing kick. Bruyneel remains skeptical as to whether he can compete with pure sprinters like Jasper Philipsen, Tim Merlier, and Jonathan Milan. Still, there is enormous potential in the Visma sprint sensation, who has the full confidence of his team and, according to the analyst, could develop into a frequent winner in tough finishes.

"He's already an extremely good rider," Bruyneel notes, pointing once again to Brennan's 22 victories—a number that many riders in the Vuelta peloton will never reach. According to the analyst, the Briton's ceiling is very high. “I think he can win the Tour of Flanders,” he says ambitiously, knowing that Brennan will always have his powerful sprint up his sleeve.