{"id":5175,"date":"2026-01-15T20:23:38","date_gmt":"2026-01-15T18:23:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.runridedive.com\/?p=5175"},"modified":"2026-01-15T20:23:38","modified_gmt":"2026-01-15T18:23:38","slug":"insect-science-mtb-gearing-up-for-2026-with-an-expanded-roster","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.runridedive.com\/index.php\/2026\/01\/15\/insect-science-mtb-gearing-up-for-2026-with-an-expanded-roster\/","title":{"rendered":"Insect Science MTB Gearing up for 2026 with an Expanded Roster"},"content":{"rendered":"

Easily recognisable in their neon kit, Insect Science Mountain Biking have been mainstays of the South African cycling peloton since 2018. As the squad\u2019s 9th<\/sup>\u00a0season 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.<\/p>\n

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. \u201cNeon 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,\u201d Bekker explained. \u201cIt 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\u2019s and women\u2019s teams since halfway through 2025, so we know it works logistically. What we\u2019ve 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.\u201d Gerhard Booysen, founder of Insect Science, echoed this approach: \u201cHigh performance isn\u2019t accidental. It\u2019s the result of good systems, the right people, and long-term thinking. This structure gives the riders exactly that.\u201d<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

Side quests and individual goals aside, the team\u2019s 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<\/sup>\u00a0Absa Cape Epic in March. Boasting the longest route since 2015, the course should suit the experience and marathon pedigree of the squad.<\/p>\n

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. \u201cYou have to aim high,\u201d Bekker confirmed. \u201cThe goal is to finish inside the top 10 and claim Insect Science\u2019s first Absa African Jersey.\u201d<\/p>\n

Botha is excited to get racing in the Insect Science kit. \u201cI\u2019ve had a really good and consistent pre-season this year,\u201d the 2024 South African XCM Champion noted. \u201cI hope to start the season with decent form and just take every race as a new opportunity and build from there.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m probably most excited to race alongside Johan [van Zyl], Arno [du Toit], Keagan [Bontekoning], and Jan [Withaar]!\u201d Botha smiled. \u201cHaving 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.\u201d<\/p>\n

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. \u201cI\u2019m going to be putting my efforts into a bit of a different approach and target single-day races this year,\u201d Bontekoning said. \u201cMy first goal will be the Ford Trailseeker at the end of January and then Imbuko Big 5 in February.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHaving 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,\u201d Bontekoning reflected. \u201cAs 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\u2019s very exciting times for the Insect Science team.\u201d<\/p>\n

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. \u201cMy early-season goal is to internalise my thinking and maximise my output as we work steadily towards the Cape Epic,\u201d he mused. \u201cOur new teammates add their own dynamics to the group, which I\u2019m greatly looking forward to playing off. Johan [van Zyl\u2019]s daring nature and Wessel [Botha\u2019]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.\u201d<\/p>\n

Du Toit\u2019s 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. \u201cI think in South Africa it’s the same for most of us,\u201d he smiled. \u201cThat 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.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWessel [Botha] and Johan [van Zyl] are riders I greatly respect, both as athletes and individuals,\u201d Du Toit praised. \u201cTheir values and character make them a natural fit within our team, and I\u2019m confident they\u2019ll carry the vision of Insect Science Cycling forward with integrity and excellence.\u201d<\/p>\n

Despite his XCO roots, Van Zyl is also fully focused on stage racing in the early months of the year. \u201cMy first major objective for the season is the Cape Epic,\u201d he established. \u201cI truly believe we have the potential to deliver a strong result \u2014 we\u2019re 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.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWith 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,\u201d Van Zyl continued. \u201cThere are currently very few teams offering dedicated support on the XCO circuit, and that\u2019s something I\u2019m motivated to help change, while doing so, providing greater exposure for my current team across a more diverse competitive front.\u201d<\/p>\n

Balance is an adjective that all five riders have used to describe their new bikes, too. \u201cThe Titan Racing Cypher DC has been impressive; highly capable, responsive, and especially confidence-inspiring on the descents,\u201d Van Zyl stated. \u201cIt’s very early days for me on the new bike, but so far I am impressed,\u201d Botha added. Withaar was philosophical when describing his first impressions: \u201cThis 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.\u201d<\/p>\n

Du Toit, meanwhile, has enjoyed the adjustability of the Titan Racing Cypher DC. \u201cI\u2019m really impressed with it so far,\u201d Du Toit said. \u201cThere are lots of flip-chip options to fiddle with geometry, both front and rear. Slacker is lekker for now, but I\u2019m excited to play around depending on the terrain and the race. \u201cThe bike is super capable, and we are going to have a lot of fun on the trails!\u201d Bontekoning agrees, saying, \u201cThe new bike is awesome. I\u2019ve 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\u2019s phenomenal.\u201d<\/p>\n

The settling-in process will undoubtedly accelerate as the racing gets underway on the 17th<\/sup>\u00a0of 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\u2019s 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,\u00a0@insectsciencemtb<\/a>. For individual insights, cycling fans can follow Arno du Toit (@arno_dutoit<\/a>), Keagan Bontekoning (@keagan_bontekoning<\/a>), Jan Withaar (@janwithaarxcr<\/a>), Wessel Botha (@wesselmtb<\/a>), and Johan van Zyl (@johan_van_zyl_<\/a>) for their personal views from racing and training.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Easily recognisable in their neon kit, Insect Science Mountain Biking have been mainstays of the South African cycling peloton since 2018. As the squad\u2019s 9th\u00a0season Continue Reading<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":5176,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"wds_primary_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-5175","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-cycling"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.runridedive.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5175","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.runridedive.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.runridedive.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.runridedive.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.runridedive.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5175"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.runridedive.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5175\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":5177,"href":"https:\/\/www.runridedive.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5175\/revisions\/5177"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.runridedive.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/5176"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.runridedive.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5175"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.runridedive.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5175"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.runridedive.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5175"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}