Matthew Brennan raised a hand as he crossed the finish line in Seville, claiming his fifth stage win at La Vuelta 26. The victory matches a feat last achieved in 1982, when Eddy Planckaert also won five stages in a single Vuelta.
The 17th stage covered 185 kilometers from Dos Hermanas to Seville and was designed for sprinters. On the flat, fast route, Brennan, riding for Visma-Lease a Bike, lost the wheel of his usual lead-out, Wout van Aert, but found a way through. He launched his sprint from behind Magnus Cort, overtook Jordi Meeus and Cort, and reached the line first.
Visma-Lease a Bike controlled the race from early on, working to reel in the breakaway and set up Brennan. Enzo Paleni (Groupama-FDJ United) and Sinuhé Fernández (Burgos-Burpellet-BH) formed the basic escape, building a lead of more than five minutes. As the stage wore on, the peloton, driven by Visma-Lease a Bike and other sprint teams, gradually closed the gap.
Paleni tried to hold off the pack with a solo move in the last 15 kilometers, but the peloton caught him with three kilometers to go, ending a 180-kilometer breakaway. Uno-X Mobility led the final approach, but Brennan’s timing and speed left no chance for the rest.
Enric Mas (Movistar) kept his grip on the overall lead, with no changes among the general classification riders on a day that offered nothing for climbers or GC contenders. Attention now turns to the time trial between El Puerto de Santa María and Jerez de la Frontera, where the final standings could shift.
Brennan’s Vuelta debut has raised expectations for young sprinters. Winning five stages in one race puts him among the best, given the level of competition and tactics in today’s Grand Tours. His Seville win, achieved without a perfect lead-out, showed his speed and ability to read a race.
Visma-Lease a Bike’s six stage wins, split between Brennan and van Aert, confirm the team’s control of the sprints this year. Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe and EF Education-EasyPost could not match Brennan’s finishing speed.
With only a few stages left, Brennan’s breakthrough points to a shift in the sprinting order. His ability to adapt and deliver under pressure has raised expectations for Grand Tour debuts, and other teams will need to rethink their approach if they want to challenge him in the future.
