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British teen phenom Matthew Brennan raced like a cagey veteran Thursday on the cobbled roads of northern France to sprint to his first pro win at Grand Prix de Denain, a race dubbed the “Mini Paris-Roubaix.”
The 19-year-old sensation from Visma-Lease a Bike was the fastest in the sprint of a small group and beat out established pros like Gianni Vermeersch (Alpecin-Deceuninck) and Dries De Bondt (Decathlon Ag2r).
Victories at this level are rare for a teenager and Brennan joins an elite club of ever-younger riders who are making an instant impact in the pro ranks.
It’s too early to say if he’s the next Remco Evenepoel, but a win is a win.
“I’m very happy with this,” Brennan said. “It was quite difficult to control, but once we got to the finish line, I knew I had the fastest sprint of the guys there. That gave me confidence heading into the final.”
Latest payback for Visma’s youth program
Brennan, who makes the jump to the WorldTour this season, raced with the poise of a longtime pro.
Under summer-like conditions for the latest of early spring stampedes over the same roads and pavé that the peloton will see in a few weeks at Paris-Roubaix, the young Brit had the magic in the legs to follow the more experienced wheels into the day’s winning move.
Brennan — who raced two seasons with Fesham Howes-MAS Design club team and last season with Visma’s U23 squad — played it smart to save for the final sprint where he knew he’d have chances for the win.
“The team did a great job today,” Brennan said. “They put me in a perfect position and I was also well positioned when going up the cobbled sections. Then it’s also easier to find your rhythm on those bad sections. I am very grateful to everyone for the work they did.”
Also read: Visma signs teen talent Brennan through 2027
His performance is fresh payback for Visma-Lease a Bike’s investment in scouting and developing young talent.
Per Strand Hagenes, Archie Ryan, Olav Kooij, the Van Dijke brothers, and Finn Fischer Black are just a few of the top pros who’ve graduated from the devo team since its founding in 2020.
At 19, Brennan is the youngest rider to win a one-day pro race since a certain Evenepoel did so with the Clásica San Sebastián in 2019.
‘He has a nose for the right moment’
Now on a deal through 2027, he’s also the latest teen sensation to make the jump to the WorldTour as teams are ever more desperate to find the “next Pogačar.”
Last year, Isaac del Toro signed cycling’s longest contract when he hooked up with UAE Emirates-XRG through 2029 at just 20. Jan Christen also signed on with Tadej Pogačar’s team through 2028 at 19.
Albert Withen Philipsen signed a deal at 17 to join Lidl-Trek for a four-year contract. Ashlin Barry, also 17, is also under Visma’s development squad.
Brennan proved he belong Thursday is his first elite pro win after victories in the Grand Prix de la Ville de Lillers and Le Tour des 100 Communes in the U23 ranks earlier this season.
“This was very impressive”, sports director Robert Wagner said. “Although Matthew has never ridden at this level before, he showed again today that he knows better than anyone else when to take action. He has a nose for the right moment and rode very attentively from the front.
“As the group got smaller and the finish line approached, we knew there was a good chance he would finish it off. He did that superbly!”
Brennan’s races next at the Volta a Catalunya, where he will join a strong Visma team that includes Sepp Kuss and Simon Yates. With two-time Tour de France winner Jonas Vingegaard pulling out of the planned start, Brennan and his teammates could see more freedom to chase victories.
