Matthew Ruisbroek: From Motorcycles to Mountains — The 18-Year-Old Chasing a Pro Dream 🇬🇧 🇳🇱
At just 18 years old, Matthew Ruisbroek is already rewriting his sporting identity.
Born in the Netherlands and now living in Valencia, Spain, Matthew originally moved there five years ago to pursue a professional motorcycle racing career. Valencia, after all, is one of Europe’s motorsport hubs.
But elite sport is unforgiving — and funding even more so.
When the financial backing for motorcycling fell short, Matthew didn’t give up on the dream of becoming a professional athlete.
He changed sports.
Trading Throttle for Pedals
Cycling began as cross-training.
In late 2021, Matthew bought a mountain bike simply to get fit for motorcycle racing. He improved quickly, bought a road bike, and began taking cycling more seriously.
Zwift entered the picture in 2023. His first FTP test? 149 watts. By the end of that same year, he climbed Alpe du Zwift in 59 minutes on his first attempt. Since then, the progression has been relentless.
Today?
48-minute Alpe du Zwift
Upgraded from C Grade to A Grade in two seasons
35-watt FTP gain in just two months
Training 13–20 hours per week
The trajectory is clear.
The Rider: Light, Repeatable, Dangerous on the Climbs
At 64kg, Matthew naturally leans toward climbing.
But what separates him is durability.
He’s strong at holding Z3/LT1 for long periods and can repeat hard efforts over and over — a trait that translates well to hilly races and brutal Zwift epics.
His favourite events?
Hilly Zwift Epic races.
“Cause I can just destroy people on the climbs.”
There’s no arrogance in it — just youthful confidence backed by work.
The Minimalist Pain Cave
Matthew doesn’t have a flashy setup.
No neon lights. No dedicated training room.
Just a Zwift Ride tucked into a corner of his home, a desk in front holding a laptop and fan.
Music depends on the mission:
Z-Race? Hardstyle.
Z2/Tempo? Dutch rap and hip hop.
Coffee?
Not a chance.
Coca-Cola and sugar for carbs.
Fuel is fuel.
Motivation: Tour of Valencia
When motivation dips, Matthew doesn’t look at numbers.
He looks at a vision.
Racing the Tour of Valencia as a professional cyclist.
In front of family.
In front of friends.
That’s the image that keeps him training.
From C to A — The Hard Way
The jump from C to A wasn’t smooth.
Grade B nearly broke him.
“I felt like I was never going to leave it.”
But instead of quitting, he doubled down. Increased volume. Committed fully.
The last two months changed everything.
Upgrading to A wasn’t just a category change — it was relief.
Proof that the work was paying off.
Lessons Learned at 18
One of Matthew’s biggest early mistakes?
Comparing himself to riders far stronger than him.
“You’re not Tadej Pogačar in your first few years of cycling.”
It’s advice he gives bluntly now:
Stop looking sideways.
Focus on being the best version of YOU.
He also swears by something many young riders ignore - rest day is one of the most important training days of the week.
Beyond the Numbers
Matthew admits something mature for his age:
Spend time with your cycling friends off the bike.
It’s not always about watts and racing.
Sometimes you need to just be normal people together.
That perspective matters — especially in a sport obsessed with metrics.
He even laughs when he looks back at old SISU TTT videos on his YouTube channel, watching himself gasping at powers that now feel manageable.
Growth looks different in hindsight.
SISU & The Future
Matthew will be racing the SISU Club Championships in March. He hasn’t even studied the disciplines yet — he just wants to race.
For him, SISU Racing isn’t just a team.
It’s a launchpad.
He describes it simply:
“SISU Racing is the birthplace of my professional cycling career.”
2026 Goals
Race his first U23/Elite event
Reach 5 W/kg FTP
Keep building toward professional road racing
The path won’t be easy.
But then again, neither was walking away from one sport to start another from scratch.
From 149 watts to A Grade.
From motorcycles to mountain passes.
From uncertainty to purpose.
At 18, Matthew Ruisbroek isn’t finished becoming a cyclist.
He’s just getting started.