Young Brits on top! After Brennan, Gloag steps up at Visma | Lease a Bike to cover for Van Baarle: "Making the best of it"

After Matthew Brennan impressed in the sprints during the early stages, it was now the turn of his compatriot Thomas Gloag to shine for Visma | Lease a Bike. The 23-year-old Brit stepped up brilliantly, finishing fifth in the challenging third stage of the Tour Down Under — his best result at WorldTour level so far. The team has responded impressively to the exit of road captain Dylan van Baarle.

Gloag was very pleased with how he finished the stage. "It was a difficult and technical final," he said on his team’s website. "But I'm super satisfied with this result. I was a little bit out of position at the start of the last climb. Fortunately, I was able to catch up with the favorites. The team helped me a lot today with positioning, which was important. We rode well at the front of the peloton for most of the day. Dylan dropping out in the first stage was a big disappointment, but we are making the best of it. We can be proud of how we rode as a team this stage."

Sports director Addy Engels was very satisfied with the maturity shown by his leader. "Thomas was exactly where he needed to be in the final. With the fifth place today, a lot still remains possible for the general classification." The 19-year-old Brennan, four years younger than his teammate, had hoped to contend for victory again today, but he was unable to keep up with the best in the finale. "That's unfortunate. He felt very good, but lost some places on Knotts Hill. The fact that only a small group of favorites rode to the finish shows how difficult the final climb was. It would have been special if he had been in it."

Read more below the photo!

Matthew Brennan lost a minute to stage winner Javier Romo

"Matthew shows he can do more than just sprinting"

Despite this, his Dutch sports director remains optimistic. "Today was another great learning moment for Matthew. It is all new for him and he is really discovering professional cycling here. Matthew certainly shows here that he can do more than just sprinting. I really enjoyed how the guys worked together as a team. Menno was strong today and showed himself mostly at the front for the team."

Friday brings another tough stage with significant elevation gain, though the finish is flat. Visma | Lease a Bike will likely focus on Brennan again. "We will see how he will digest the climbs tomorrow. In addition, we have to make sure Thomas gets through the day well and is ready in the fifth stage for Willunga Hill, where the general classification will be determined."

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