A Star is born! Matthew Brennan keeps winning

Although he did not win any stage of last year’s ORLEN Nations Grand Prix, British cyclist Matthew Brennan impressed many experts with his determined riding and versatility. Recently, he once again confirmed his talent by securing four consecutive victories — the latest one at Volta a Catalunya, a UCI World Tour race!

It has long been known that the ORLEN Nations Grand Prix is a crucial race on the map of youth cycling in Europe and worldwide. Every year, the best U23 riders gather in Poland and neighboring countries to compete in the UCI Nations Cup.

Many past winners, and not just them, go on to fight for victories in the world’s biggest races. A perfect example is Matthew Brennan — a Briton who showcased his versatility at the ORLEN Nations Grand Prix. Although he didn’t win a stage, he finished in a very high 4th place in the ORLEN general classification.

He finished in the top four on four occasions, dropping out only once — on the stage finishing at Štrbské Pleso in Slovakia, where he placed… sixth. His achievement was particularly noteworthy given that last year’s ORLEN Nations Grand Prix route was highly varied, featuring both mountain stages and ones favoring sprinters.

It didn’t take long before the strongest UCI World Tour teams took serious interest in Matthew Brennan. He chose Team Visma | Lease a Bike, signing a contract until 2027.

In the World Tour, the Dutch team’s new recruit made an immediate impression, coming close to victory on a stage of the Santos Tour Down Under. While the following stages didn’t go his way, it turned out he just needed to be patient. The victories came in March when he won two French races — Le Tour des 100 Communes and GP de la Ville de Lillers.

Determined to keep his winning streak alive, Matthew Brennan triumphed at GP de Denain, a ProSeries race known for its challenging cobbled sections. However, his most significant victory came just days ago at Volta a Catalunya, a UCI World Tour race — just like the Tour de Pologne.

Winning a stage of such a prestigious race is already impressive, but the way the young Team Visma | Lease a Bike star did it was even more remarkable. Left on his own in the final stretch, Brennan had to single-handedly chase down breakaway rider Tibor del Grosso of Alpecin-Deceuninck. He then unleashed an incredible sprint, overtaking another Alpecin-Deceuninck rider, Kaden Groves, and pipping the breakaway rider at the line.

The next day — on a stage more suited to sprinters — he finished second. Given Brennan’s racing style and effectiveness, more victories are just a matter of time. And we can take pride in the fact that he took some of his first career steps on the roads of the ORLEN Nations Grand Prix.