Easily recognisable in their neon kit, Insect Science Mountain Biking have been mainstays of the South African cycling peloton since 2018. As the squad’s 9th season begins, they mark the new year with an expanded roster, renewed vigour, and new sponsors. Wessel Botha and Johan van Zyl join team stalwarts, Arno du Toit, Keagan Bontekoning, and Jan Withaar for 2026, while Safari Essence, Titan Racing Bikes, and Ford Dealers of South Africa come on board alongside title sponsors Insect Science and fellow headline sponsors First Ascent and Biogen. FLR shoes, Schwalbe Tires, Wahoo, and SIGEYI Power Meters will also support the men in yellow this year.
Behind the scenes, Rossouw Bekker has taken over the management reins and has established a holding company to provide long-term stability and overarching support to the athletes. Neon Collective, the organisation behind the team, will function in the well-established capacity of professional road teams. “Neon Collective allows us to plan more effectively within the season, sharing human resources like mechanics, physiotherapists, and other support staff between Insect Science and the Safari Essence Titan Racing squads,” Bekker explained. “It also allows the teams to exist beyond individual sponsors, providing organisational continuity if a title sponsor changes. We have been sharing resources, unofficially, between the men’s and women’s teams since halfway through 2025, so we know it works logistically. What we’ve seen is that it provides greater stability and ability to plan for the staff, which then translates to improved consistency for the athletes, who receive treatments and bike services from the same individuals throughout the year.” Gerhard Booysen, founder of Insect Science, echoed this approach: “High performance isn’t accidental. It’s the result of good systems, the right people, and long-term thinking. This structure gives the riders exactly that.”
In 2026, the Insect Science team will focus primarily on marathon and stage race mountain biking, while also taking on key events in the ever-expanding South African gravel racing calendar, as well as selected cross-country races. New signing Johan van Zyl is the reigning cross-country short track South African Champion, and as such, he will target the XCO and XCC disciplines. Arno du Toit will also race selectively in the cross-country format, targeting another elite South African title to add to the national marathon crown he won in 2019.
Side quests and individual goals aside, the team’s primary focus will remain the mountain bike marathon discipline. Their season will get underway at the Momentum Medical Scheme Attakwas Extreme, presented by Biogen, before taking on the Ford Trailseeker in the Banhoek Valley near Stellenbosch, the Momentum Medical Scheme Tankwa Trek, presented by Biogen, the M&G Investments PE Plett, Imbuko Big 5, and the SA XCO Cup Series opening round in Cape Town. The opening months of the season build towards the 22nd Absa Cape Epic in March. Boasting the longest route since 2015, the course should suit the experience and marathon pedigree of the squad.
With five riders to choose from, the team is confident of fielding two in-form teams for the showpiece event of the local cycling season. “You have to aim high,” Bekker confirmed. “The goal is to finish inside the top 10 and claim Insect Science’s first Absa African Jersey.”
Botha is excited to get racing in the Insect Science kit. “I’ve had a really good and consistent pre-season this year,” the 2024 South African XCM Champion noted. “I hope to start the season with decent form and just take every race as a new opportunity and build from there.”
“I’m probably most excited to race alongside Johan [van Zyl], Arno [du Toit], Keagan [Bontekoning], and Jan [Withaar]!” Botha smiled. “Having really good teammates who are great friends as well is a big positive. I think the team environment is a really important aspect of cycling performance, and we will for sure be having a lekker time on and off the bikes this year.”
While the rest of the squad start the year with a traverse of the infamous Attakwaskloof, Bontekoning will be putting the finishing touches on his pre-season training ahead of a home debut in the Banhoek Valley. “I’m going to be putting my efforts into a bit of a different approach and target single-day races this year,” Bontekoning said. “My first goal will be the Ford Trailseeker at the end of January and then Imbuko Big 5 in February.”
“Having Johan [van Zyl] and Wessel [Botha] coming into the team is very exciting because it will level up the team, and our presence in the bunch,” Bontekoning reflected. “As athletes, we can now be a bit more selective of the races we choose to target, rather than racing everything, which can play in our favour, too. Lastly, team dynamics and tactics are now a big card that we can play with five strong guys, so it’s very exciting times for the Insect Science team.”
Withaar is the most senior member of the team and is a deeply philosophical bike racer. As such, his approach to the year takes more than just physical preparation into account. “My early-season goal is to internalise my thinking and maximise my output as we work steadily towards the Cape Epic,” he mused. “Our new teammates add their own dynamics to the group, which I’m greatly looking forward to playing off. Johan [van Zyl’]s daring nature and Wessel [Botha’]s effortless demeanour are going to be great additions to the stability that Keagan [Bontekoning] and Arno [du Toit] exude. It is a delightful proposition to look forward to.”
Du Toit’s stability has brought with it consistently high performance levels in recent years, and the knowledge that building through the early months of 2026 means targeting a specific goal. “I think in South Africa it’s the same for most of us,” he smiled. “That 8-day thing mid-March called the Cape Epic. With the new guys in our squad, it’s a goal just to make the A-team! Either way, it’s going to be awesome with two strong Insect Science teams this year.”
“Wessel [Botha] and Johan [van Zyl] are riders I greatly respect, both as athletes and individuals,” Du Toit praised. “Their values and character make them a natural fit within our team, and I’m confident they’ll carry the vision of Insect Science Cycling forward with integrity and excellence.”
Despite his XCO roots, Van Zyl is also fully focused on stage racing in the early months of the year. “My first major objective for the season is the Cape Epic,” he established. “I truly believe we have the potential to deliver a strong result — we’re a solid group of riders and the overall setup is great. As a team, we each bring different strengths to the table, which creates a great environment for learning and growth. That balance is one of our biggest advantages.”
“With the XCO races scheduled for later in the year, it allows me to focus on stage racing early in the season before shifting my attention fully to XCO,” Van Zyl continued. “There are currently very few teams offering dedicated support on the XCO circuit, and that’s something I’m motivated to help change, while doing so, providing greater exposure for my current team across a more diverse competitive front.”
Balance is an adjective that all five riders have used to describe their new bikes, too. “The Titan Racing Cypher DC has been impressive; highly capable, responsive, and especially confidence-inspiring on the descents,” Van Zyl stated. “It’s very early days for me on the new bike, but so far I am impressed,” Botha added. Withaar was philosophical when describing his first impressions: “This is the most sensitively responsive steering I have experienced on a mountain bike; it is well suited to the restlessness in my head and busyness on trails.”
Du Toit, meanwhile, has enjoyed the adjustability of the Titan Racing Cypher DC. “I’m really impressed with it so far,” Du Toit said. “There are lots of flip-chip options to fiddle with geometry, both front and rear. Slacker is lekker for now, but I’m excited to play around depending on the terrain and the race. “The bike is super capable, and we are going to have a lot of fun on the trails!” Bontekoning agrees, saying, “The new bike is awesome. I’ve only clocked 200 kilometres on it so far, so a lot of testing still to do, but I really like it. It has a very different front-end feeling from the bikes we have raced in the past, but once the Cypher DC is settled into the corner, it’s phenomenal.”
The settling-in process will undoubtedly accelerate as the racing gets underway on the 17th of January, at the Hell of the South. The expansion of the team, the behind-the-scenes support of Neon Collective, and the commitment of the squad’s sponsors indicate that exciting times are ahead for mountain biking fans as well as the riders themselves. To share in the excitement throughout the 2026 season, follow the Insect Science team on Instagram, @insectsciencemtb. For individual insights, cycling fans can follow Arno du Toit (@arno_dutoit), Keagan Bontekoning (@keagan_bontekoning), Jan Withaar (@janwithaarxcr), Wessel Botha (@wesselmtb), and Johan van Zyl (@johan_van_zyl_) for their personal views from racing and training.
