'People thought they were superheroes' - Brennan left frustrated by Vuelta chaos

Matthew Brennan (Visma | Lease a Bike) said “a lot of people thought they were superheroes” after a crash-filled stage 8 of the Vuelta a España, which saw race leader Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) forced to abandon the race after a crash with 32km remaining.

The stage was marked by multiple incidents, including another crash inside the final kilometre, before Bryan Coquard (Cofidis) won the bunch sprint in Xeraco. Brennan finished 10th after losing the wheel of Christophe Laporte in the chaotic approach to the line.

"There were a lot of crashes today, and I think that kind of set the tone for the day,” Brennan told Eurosport. “A lot of people thought, I think, that they were superheroes today."

Brennan said he was willing to accept some risk in a sprint but felt some riders were taking things too far in the fight for position.

“I’m willing to risk it a little bit, but when I get some people who are happy to fall off for the risk of the win, I’m not super comfortable with that,” he said.

“The team tried their best. I tried to follow Christophe [Laporte], but in the end these people were too aggressive for my liking, so I lost the wheel, and then I couldn’t really go from any good place.”

The 20-year-old said the willingness to take risks had been visible throughout the stage, not just in the sprint, with multiple crashes, including one in the neutralised zone before the start.

“You see it all day,” he said. “Considering it was, you know, I think I did like three hours, 160 watts. So I don’t know what people are doing, but, yeah, if you’re willing to risk it at 160 watts, then I think you’re a bit crazy. But it is what it is.”

Despite his disappointment, Brennan remained upbeat about further opportunities ahead, having already claimed two victories so far in his Grand Tour debut.

“Tomorrow won’t be a day for me, but I’ve already won two stages, so it’s not like I’m chasing anything in particular,” he said. “But, yeah, we can always try again. That’s the beauty of a Grand Tour.”