Brennan’s success at the Vuelta is a timely reminder of the presence of a record 49 British riders in the men’s and women’s World Tour in 2026 – a legacy of the UK’s golden age of cycling from 2012, when Team Sky won seven Tours de France in 10 years, Mark Cavendish more Tour de France stages than anyone else and Lizzie Deignan won many of the sport’s biggest races.
Next year cycling’s biggest race, the Tour de France, and Tour de France Femmes, come to the UK for a double-headed Grand Depart which is likely to bring a rise in popularity for the sport and cycling participation in general.
Despite the change in recent years following the domination of road cycling’s every discipline by Pogacar, 27, UK riders are starting to make an impact in sprinting, classics, general classification and time trialling.
One rider who has already won the European title in TT is Josh Tarling, who contested the first six stages of this race just over a week after the tragic death of his younger brother Finlay at 19 years of age.
Josh Tarling finished an excellent third in the Vuelta’s opening stage TT in Monaco before deciding to return home.
Later, his Netcompany Ineos team added: “After the unimaginable loss of his brother Fin, Josh showed incredible courage in starting La Vuelta.
“We are immensely proud of him, and he now returns home to be with his family with the full love and support of everyone at Netcompany Ineos. Family comes first. Always.”
Fin Tarling – also a good time triallist – was killed after hitting a van which had strayed on to the course of the Volta a Portugal in August – an investigation into exactly what happened is ongoing.
And many in the sport are calling for better safety measures during road cycling races after claiming smaller races struggle with the costs of organising safety procedures during races such as rolling roadblocks.
Brennan himself was outspoken after stage 15, external about safety when suggesting those at the sport’s world governing body the UCI were “making decisions in their air-conditioned offices” after the peloton rode in 44C.
