Niermann on super talent Matthew Brennan: 'I think he will win a Monument'
Matthew Brennan was one of the breakthrough riders of 2025, but inside Team Visma | Lease a Bike there is little appetite to rush the next chapter. As he prepares for his first full spring in the biggest one-day races, the team is careful to frame 2026 as a season of learning rather than judgement.
In outlining its ambitions for 2026, Team Visma | Lease a Bike was clear about its priorities. “Our biggest goal every year is to win the Tour de France,” said Head of Racing Grischa Niermann. “In addition, we want to win the Giro, win a cycling Monument, and aim as high as possible in the Vuelta.”
When it comes to winning a Monument, the team sees significant potential in the rapid rise of super talent Matthew Brennan. Speaking at the team’s media day last Tuesday, Niermann however repeatedly stressed that Visma’s Classics hierarchy remains unchanged.
“I think we have a really strong team. Of course, Wout will still be our main leader. The one who is most likely the strongest. The one who has to be competitive in the finals,” Niermann said, according to Feltet.dk.
At the same time, Brennan is not being shielded from opportunity. Visma | Lease a Bike sees his presence as part of a broader, long term plan, particularly in finales where races fragment and tactical options become crucial.
“Ideally they [Van Aert and Brennan] are a perfect combination. We have signed a long contract with Matthew. We have big ambitions for him for the future. We definitely believe he will become a world class rider. But it does not have to happen in 2026. He needs some time to adapt,” Niermann explained.
The approach, as he described it, is about exposure without expectation. Brennan’s Monument starts are meant as education rather than a test. “It is to learn in Wout’s shadow,” Niermann said.
“In the ideal scenario, in the future we always have a rider in the first big group who can win the sprint. But we all have to give Matthew some time. Anything can happen, but nothing has to happen this year. But I think he will win a Monument in the future.”
Only a year ago, the 20-year-old was still racing for Visma’s development team. He ended the 2025 season with 12 professional victories, including four at WorldTour level, a surge that has inevitably fueled talk of Monuments and long-term leadership. It also earned him a contract extension, keeping him with Team Visma | Lease a Bike until 2029.
Join our WhatsApp service
Be first to know. Subscribe to Domestique on WhatsApp for free and stay up to date with all the latest from the world of cycling.
