Suddenly a secret weapon for Visma | Lease a Bike in Roubaix? Wonderkid Brennan set for debut in The Hell

It was only logical that the young sprinter would continue to progress after his stellar spring. In the span of just one week, he won three races: first claiming his maiden victory at the GP Denain, followed by two wins at WorldTour level in the Tour of Catalonia. “I keep surprising myself every week in my first pro season,” Brennan told Cycling Weekly. “Not just in terms of results, but also with the kinds of races I get to ride.”

This spring, the 19-year-old from Visma | Lease a Bike got his first real taste of cobbled racing. “Omloop Het Nieuwsblad was my first true classic, and I have to say, it left me wanting more. I was incredibly impressed.” Just under three weeks later, he took a major step toward the Hell of the North: the GP Denain, often seen as a 'mini Paris-Roubaix.' Facing big names like Florian and Gianni Vermeersch, Arnaud De Lie, and António Morgado, Brennan pulled off a surprise win. “GP Denain was my next race, and to win it right away, that was really special.”

And so it’s only logical that the super talent is already being called up for Sunday. Brennan will start alongside Wout van Aert for the first time. “I’m really looking forward to Sunday. Paris-Roubaix is one of those races you dream about as a young rider. To be starting there already feels like an incredibly valuable investment in the future of my career.” After Roubaix, Brennan is expected to take a short break before returning to race the Tour de Romandie.

Sports director Grischa Niermann sees Brennan’s development as unlike anyone else’s. “Matthew has surprised us multiple times already. The fact that he already has three pro wins under his belt is fantastic.” The decision to let him start Paris-Roubaix was made quickly. “Given the steep curve in his development, we’ve slightly adjusted his program. Normally he would have done some more races with the Development Team, but we now feel that there’s not much left for him to gain there.”

Despite his talent, Visma | Lease a Bike is being cautious. Brennan will definitely not serve as a co-leader in his first-ever monument, the full focus will be on Van Aert. “In a Monument like Paris-Roubaix, he still has everything to learn. We won’t put any expectations on him in terms of results. More than anything, we hope this race stays with him for the rest of his career.”