Brennan unfazed by kangaroo chaos: 'You can’t really predict that'

Asked about the incident, Brennan admitted the moment caught him by surprise. “I just remember looking to the right and seeing this big animal and thinking, ‘You’re not meant to be here,’” he said with a laugh to reporters, including Domestique.

The Visma | Lease a Bike rider explained that the situation unfolded too quickly for riders to react. “You can’t really predict two kangaroos jumping across the road,” Brennan said. “I hope everyone’s okay, because that’s the main thing.”

Brennan noted that Australian riders are more accustomed to wildlife near the roads, but even then the scale of the incident stood out. “They were quite big,” he said. “All the Aussie boys say they come in pairs, and then suddenly the second one just throws itself into the peloton.”

Despite the disruption, Brennan kept his focus on the finale and went on to sprint to victory in Stirling. “It was quite chaotic, with a lot of movement in the peloton,” he said. “But the team did a really good job, and I’m very happy I could finish it off.”

The win offered Visma | Lease a Bike a much needed lift after a frustrating week at the Tour Down Under, as Brennan put it: “The past week didn’t always go as we hoped, and results were hard to come by. But as a team, we worked hard every day and gave 100 percent in every stage. To see that rewarded today is really special.”

With the spring ahead in mind, the win marks a timely boost for Brennan. “This victory gives me a lot of confidence for the races coming up in spring. It’s been a learning week, with its ups and downs. But today, we did everything we needed to do, and that gives me a lot of confidence,” the young Brit concluded.

Visma | Lease a Bike sports director Jesper Mørkøv echoed that sentiment afterwards on the website of the team. “Today the team was rewarded for the hard work they’ve put in all week. Things didn’t always go our way in the past week, but we kept working hard as a team. Today, the squad delivered fantastic work, and Matthew once again showed how strong he is on tough finishes. It’s a perfect way to close the week.”