Yesterday, we learned through Santa Cruz Bicycles’ social media that the powerhouse htSQD team is calling it a wrap after 5 wildly successful seasons. Since its inception, the htSQD and its riders have been a dominant force in the U.S. gravel and endurance mountain biking racing scene, and have also achieved some international successes.
The team was headlined by Keegan Swenson, who, over the past several years, has proven himself to be one of the strongest American gravel and marathon mountain bike racers at every race he enters. Along with his wingman and teammate Tobin Ortenblad, the pair were a dynamic duo, with Tobin often serving as domestique and helping propel Keegan to numerous victories, while he himself has long been a podium threat at many races.
Alexis Skarda also appeared at the pointy end of nearly every race she entered, with strong performances in the Lifetime Grand Prix, multiple Marathon National Championship titles, and numerous other impressive results. Up-and-comer Ruth Holcomb only just joined the team in 2025, and quickly established herself as the U23 rider to beat with several dominant performances and a Lifetime Grand Prix overall title.
Where Do They Go From Here?
All of the former htSQD team members are in the prime of their racing careers and are likely to be highly sought after by new teams next season. Still, this news is very fresh, and details regarding new team signings and sponsorship deals are sparse so far.
The one team member we can definitively report on is Tobin Ortenblad. In an Instagram post yesterday, the Santa Cruz, CA native says that he is sticking with his hometown brand and will continue racing Santa Cruz Bicycles next season. It also sounds like he may be expanding his role with the brand and perhaps looking towards the future beyond racing.
From Tobin’s Instagram: “So, what’s next for me? I’m still riding for Santa Cruz Bicycles! I’ll be at a lot of the same races and events next season, but I also won’t be at some. The only thing more boring than a few of these races is doing them year after year after year. I’m also going to be working a bit closer with the brand—working with their other athletes, launching a couple of new bikes, and managing some other race-related projects.”
As of now, the best we can do is speculate on the future plans and teams for Alexis Skarda, Ruth Holcomb, and Keegan Swenson. Swenson, in particular, is sure to be a hot commodity with three Lifetime Grand Prix Overall Titles under his belt and earning the rainbow stripes as the 2025 Cross-Country Marathon Mountain Bike World Champion.
Our best guess is that Keegan is likely to end up on the Specialized Off-Road team next year. Swenson recently married his long-time girlfriend, and fellow Lifetime Grand Prix Champion, Sofia Gomez-Villafane, who has been a very successful member of the Specialized Off-Road team for several years. The pair is already one of off-road racing’s power couples, and a move to Specialized would potentially help solidify that notion while also simplifying sponsor logos around the Swenson/Gomez-Villafane household.
A move to Specialized would also make sense given Swenson’s close relationship with South African powerhouse and Specialized Off-Road team rider Matt Beers. Beers and Swenson have been training and racing together for years, including as teammates for the 2025 Absa Cape Epic. Again, while it seems logical to us that Specialized is the team Swenson would end up on, this is purely speculation.
Regardless, we’re excited to see what’s next for all the former htSQD team members and look forward to the 2026 racing season.
