Stage 2 of the Momentum Medical Scheme Tankwa Trek, presented by Biogen, on Friday, the 6th of February 2026, saw dramatic racing on the trails of the Witzenberg Valley. In the men’s race, there was a puncture, for Wessel Botha, and a crash, for Marco Joubert, which would eventually prevent the Toyota Specialized Imbuko team from defending their yellow jerseys. Andreas Seewald and Jakob Hartmann seized the opportunity presented by the Stage 1 winners’ misfortune and rode their way to a stage win and the overall race lead. In the women’s race, the battle was tight throughout the 88-kilometre-long stage between the Decathlon Ford Unno team and Efficient Infiniti Insure.
The Witzenberg Valley is famed for its technical trails, but Botha was not even in the valley when he punctured. In the lead-in to the first climb of the day, which took the riders out of the Koue Bokkeveld and into the Witzenberg Valley, Botha was leading the elite men’s field. He hit a rock and broke his rear rim.
“We were still in the shade, and I didn’t even see the rock that I hit”, Botha explained. “I felt it go straight through, and it broke the rim. Fortunately, Arno [du Toit] was on my wheel, and he gave me his wheel. We were able to chase back, but we had to fight through a lot of traffic to get back to the front group. Johan [van Zyl] and I made it back to the group on tar road just before Water Point 1.”
Arno du Toit and Jan Withaar, meanwhile, lost 8 minutes fixing the rim to the point they were able to nurse it to the 27-kilometre mark, where they were able to get a wheel change. Ahead of the Insect Science Safari Essence team, their squadmates, Botha and Van Zyl, joined the three Toyota Specialized Imbuko teams and Singer KTM Racing 1. Passing through the water point, it was clear that the stage winners would come from that elite selection, despite there still being 61 kilometres to race.
In the next singletrack, they were flying along when Joubert was felled by a small antelope, presumably a duiker. “I was just riding, and then the buck ran in front of me,” Joubert recounted. “I hit the ground before I even registered the buck. It was quite a hard crash. I bent my brake rotor, I saw after the finish. My whole left side is pretty sore, so it wasn’t a good day, but at least we made it to the finish.”
“We were going along at about 30 kilometres per hour, and suddenly Marco [Joubert] was in the air,” Jaedon Terlouw added. “He hit the ground really hard. After we checked that he was okay, he and Tristan [Nortje] told us to rather race our own race. Lood [Goosen] and Inus [Ignatius du Preez] were with them to pace them back to the group.”
Despite Lood Goosen, in particular, putting in a massive effort, the Toyota Specialized Imbuko teams were never able to regain contact. The quartet was within sight of the leaders, but Seewald had taken over the pace setting, and he was intent on keeping the yellow jerseys chasing.
When the second climb began, Ignatius du Preez and Goosen had no more left to give, and Joubert’s injuries began to slow his pursuit. At the front, a poor line choice cost Travis Stedman, and held up Botha and van Zyl for the half a second Seewald and Hartmann needed. “Once they [Singer KTM] got away, we just couldn’t close the gap over the top, or on the descent back into the valley,” Terlouw said.
“Andi [Andreas Seewald] went so hard on the tar road before the last feed zone,” Hartmann praised. “And again, on the trails for home. He was so strong today!”
“This victory is an emotional one for me,” the 30-year-old German smiled. “When I was diagnosed with a pulmonary embolism last year, I was told by my doctors that I would perhaps never race again and probably never regain my best level. To feel so strong today, to win the stage, and to take yellow in such a significant stage race is big for me.”
Singer KTM turned a 45-second lead at Water Point 3 into a 2-minute and 46-second margin of victory on the day. Having started the stage 1 minute and 43 seconds off the lead, Seewald and Hartmann did enough to leapfrog from third to first. Crossing the line second, Insect Science remains second overall, but slips from 61 seconds off the race lead to 124 seconds back. Joubert and Nortje conceded 4 minutes and 29 seconds when it was all said and done. They remain in the podium places, just ahead of their Toyota Specialized Imbuko teammates, Stedman and Terlouw. Honeycomb 226ers D2mont Merida’s Marc Pritzen and Hermann Pernsteiner were fifth across the line and moved up to fifth overall.
In the UCI Women’s race, Vera Looser and Samantha Sanders took the battle to Greta Seiwald and Sara Cortinovis. “I feel like they were stronger in the first half of the stage, and we had the upper hand in the second,” Looser stated. “But we need to learn to be tougher and not give up position on the trail.”
“I felt good until that big climb,” Seiwald confessed. “There I started to drop off a bit, but was always able to bridge back to the group every time the trail went downhill slightly. Sara [Cortinovis] was so strong that I didn’t have to worry about her; she was always with the group.”
Coming into the finale the top two teams were inseparable, while behind, Fortress Toyota had distanced Safari Essence Titan Racing, and 1Of1 Summerplace Racing were making inroads into the advantage of Danielle du Toit and Roxanne Kemp. The day would be decided by one cross-country style attack, by Cortinovis and Seiwald.
“I felt the terrain becoming more trail-like, and I remembered the finish from last year,” the Italian XCC Champion said. “We attacked with about 2 kilometres to go, led into the last singletrack, and were able to add a few seconds to our overall lead. It’s the Merino Monster tomorrow, which is iconic for the Tankwa Trek. I think the climb will be vital in determining the race winners.”
“Hopefully, we have an advantage on the longest climb of the race tomorrow,” Looser stated. “I think the sustained effort should suit us, and I think it’ll be hot too, which would also be in our favour.”
The top two women’s teams are separated by 2 minutes and 13 seconds heading into the Queen Stage. Those minutes could melt away or multiply on the slopes of the Merino Monster, though that is by no means the only challenge of the stage. At 98 kilometres long, with 2 200 metres of climbing, it is a challenging day from the off. Punctures have played their part in years past, too, as have mechanicals on the long descent from the summit of the Monster, at 1 750 metres above sea level, back towards the race village at Kaleo Guest Farm.
To follow the action as it unfolds on Stage 3, 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 2 | UCI Men’s Results:
- Singer KTM Racing 2: Andreas Seewald & Jakob Hartmann (3:22:39)
- Insect Science: Johan van Zyl & Wessel Botha (3:25:25 | +2:46)
- Toyota Specialized Imbuko B: Travis Stedman & Jaedon Terlouw (3:26:31 | +3:52)
- Toyota Specialized Imbuko A: Marco Joubert & Tristan Nortje (3:27:08 | +4:29)
- Honeycomb 226ers D2mont Merida: Marc Pritzen & Hermann Pernsteiner (3:30:26 | +7:47)
Stage 2 UCI Women’s Results:
- Decathlon Ford | Unno: Greta Seiwald & Sara Cortinovis (4:05:51)
- Efficient Infiniti Insure: Vera Looser & Samantha Sanders (4:06:38 | +47)
- Fortress Toyota: Cherise Willeit & Ila Stow (4:28:00 | +22:09)
- 1Of1 x Summerplace Racing: Lilian Baber & Malena Seer (4:30:45 | +24:54)
- Safari Essence Titan Racing: Danielle du Toit & Roxanne Kemp (4:31:05 | +25:14)
UCI Men’s General Classification after Stage 2:
- Singer KTM Racing 2: Andreas Seewald & Jakob Hartmann (4:34:50)
- Insect Science: Johan van Zyl & Wessel Botha (4:36:54 | +2:04)
- Toyota Specialized Imbuko A: Marco Joubert & Tristan Nortje (4:37:36 | +2:46)
- Toyota Specialized Imbuko B: Travis Stedman & Jaedon Terlouw (4:40:20 | +5:30)
- Honeycomb 226ers D2mont Merida: Marc Pritzen & Hermann Pernsteiner (04:43:34 | +8:44)
UCI Women’s General Classification after Stage 2
- Decathlon Ford | Unno: Greta Seiwald & Sara Cortinovis (5:30:38)
- Efficient Infiniti Insure: Vera Looser & Samantha Sanders (5:32:51 | +:2:13)
- Fortress Toyota: Cherise Willeit & Ila Stow (5:57:31 | +26:53)
- 1Of1 x Summerplace Racing: Lilian Baber & Malena Seer (6:02:12 | +31:34)
- Safari Essence Titan Racing: Danielle du Toit & Roxanne Kemp (6:02:14 | +31:36)
For the full results, please click here.
Source: Seamus Allardice Media
