Toyota Specialized Imbuko and Decathlon Ford | Unno won the opening stage of the 2026 Momentum Medical Scheme Tankwa Trek, presented by Biogen, on Thursday, 5 February. The 32-kilometre-long Stage 1 presented a fast and relatively flat course, which favoured the explosive power of Greta Seiwald and Sara Cortinovis in the UCI Women’s race. In the UCI Men’s, Tristan Nortje and Marco Joubert seized an opportunity early in the stage to create an advantage over the Insect Science and Singer KTM Racing teams.
Header Image: Wessel Botha (leading) and Johan van Zyl controlled their time losses and are looking forward to the technical trails in the Witzenberg Valley on Stage 2. Photo by Oakpics.com.
With just 490 metres of accumulated elevation gain, the singletracks of Kaleo Guest Farm relied upon short, sharp climbs as well as technical twists and turns to enforce splits between the top teams. Given the strengths of both the UCI fields, it was perhaps surprising that both the Women’s and Men’s stage winners were able to establish an advantage of over a minute in just 85 and 70 minutes of racing, respectively. Though the ferocity of the racing and the speed across the trails was no surprise to the top riders.
“Like last year, we wanted to race Stage 1 absolutely full gas,” Nortje explained. “We managed to get a little gap on the first singletrack climb and then extend that through the first half of the stage.”
As Nortje had said, he and Joubert slipped off the front just 5 kilometres into the course. With their Toyota Specialized Imbuko B teammates, Travis Stedman and Jeadon Terlouw, in the chase group, the defending champions could focus on building an advantage, secure in the knowledge that they had support should their rivals reel them back in.
“Once they [Nortje and Joubert] got away, we rode to keep the gap as close as possible, and I feel we did that pretty well,” Johan van Zyl of Insect Science noted. “Despite the rain having helped with the grip, I did have a little fall when I lost my front wheel on a corner, but that didn’t cost us any time.”
By the halfway point in the stage, the Toyota Specialized Imbuko team held a 50-second lead over Insect Science and the two KTM Singer teams, with Insect Science Safari Essence and the last-minute pairing of Hermann Pernsteiner and Marc Pritzen just behind. Over the next 16 kilometres, Van Zyl and Botha were able to limit their time losses to a further 11 seconds, while the other teams ceded more time.
When Nortje and Joubert crossed the line in a time of 1 hour, 10 minutes, and 28 seconds, they had done enough to not only seize the first yellow First Ascent jerseys of the race, but also to take a 61-second lead into Friday’s Stage 2. Andreas Seewald and Jakob Hartmann were a further 42 seconds back, in third, with their Singer KTM stablemates, Simon Stiebjahn and Martin Frey, also within 2 minutes of the Stage 1 pace setters. Insect Science’s good, if not great day, was cemented by Arno du Toit and Jan Withaar completing the top five places.
Pernsteiner and Pritzen were just behind the Insect Science Safari Essence team in sixth. Both the Austrian and South African Marathon Champions lost teammates in the week before the race, and thus teamed up 24 hours before the start. They are competing as D2mont Merida Honeycomb 226ers.
Seiwald and Cortinovis were the team to watch ahead of the stage, yet their rivals were unable to match their cross-country speed. “That was even harder than I expected!” Samantha Sanders exclaimed. “I’ve been working on my punch, but still, they were just so fast. Even on the descents, they just kept pushing the power, and I had to tell Vera [Looser] that we had to back off or I’d blow.”
“I learnt a lot from last year’s Momentum Medical Scheme Tankwa Trek, presented by Biogen,” Cortinovis smiled. “I enjoyed today, and I’m looking forward to the big days to come. It’s an opportunity to measure myself against where I was last year and see the progress I’ve made in the last 12 months.”
The Decathlon Ford | Unno combination’s winning margin was 1 minute and 27 seconds over the marathon experience of Sanders and Vera Looser. Cherise Willeit and Ila Stow, of Fortress Toyota, completed the podium places, ahead of the Safari Essence Titan Racing and 1Of1 x Summerplace Racing squads.
“I was a little surprised when we found ourselves in third on the trails,” Stow confessed. “Cherise [Willeit] was incredibly strong today, and when she saw we were in the hunt for a podium, she just kept pushing and pushing. I just hung in there.”
“I think the next three days are going to be incredibly tough and see a fierce battle for third,” Stow concluded. It is not just Danielle du Toit and Roxanne Kemp, Lilian Baber and Malena Seer, or Looser and Sanders who will be looking to make up time on Stage 2. “I’m looking forward to the Witzenberg Valley,” Van Zyl stated. “The technical trails there will suit my riding style.”
Stage 2 features an 88-kilometre route, with 1 850 metres of climbing. The day has three primary climbs, with the largest coming 45 kilometres into the day. Leaving the Koue Bokkeveld, the teams will ascend the mountain range on the western edge of the plateau before dropping into the Witzenberg Valley, where some of South Africa’s most productive apple orchards are located. After 15 kilometres of back-to-back singletracks, the climbing resumes with the ascent to the high ridgeline between the Tulbagh and Witzenberg Valleys. From the summit, the final 30 kilometres are anything but easy, and an early breakaway could well be reeled in on the tracks back to Kaleo.
To follow the action as it unfolds on Friday, 6 February, mountain biking fans can like the Tankwa Trek Facebook page and follow @tankwatrek on Instagram. Daily highlights will be uploaded to the Dryland Event Management YouTube channel. For more information, visit www.tankwatrek.co.za.
2026 Momentum Medical Scheme Tankwa Trek, presented by Biogen, Results:
Stage 1 | UCI Men’s Results:
- Toyota Specialized Imbuko A: Marco Joubert & Tristan Nortje (1:10:28)
- Insect Science: Johan van Zyl & Wessel Botha (1:11:29 | +1:01)
- Singer KTM Racing 1: Andreas Seewald & Jakob Hartmann (1:12:11 | +1:43)
- Singer KTM Racing 2: Simon Stiebjahn & Martin Frey (1:12:24 | +1:56)
- Insect Science Safari Essence: Arno du Toit & Jan Withaar (1:13:08 | +2:40)
Stage 1 UCI Women’s Results:
- Decathlon Ford | Unno: Greta Seiwald & Sara Cortinovis (1:24:46)
- Efficient Infiniti Insure: Vera Looser & Samantha Sanders (1:26:13 | +1:27)
- Fortress Toyota: Cherise Willeit & Ila Stow (1:29:31 | +4:45)
- Safari Essence Titan Racing: Danielle du Toit & Roxanne Kemp (1:31:07 | +6:21)
- 1Of1 x Summerplace Racing: Lilian Baber & Malena Seer (1:31:29 | +6:43)
