The Specialised Off-Highway Group is heading into 2026 with one hell of a roster. The newly introduced tremendous crew comes with a renewed focus, a global race calendar, and we lastly realized the place Keegan Swenson landed.
Specialised Off Highway 2026
Specialised’s 2026 lineup is sort of a mix of riders: former and present world champions, versatile crossover expertise, and riders able to successful throughout disciplines. Fairly than chasing one-series outcomes, Specialised Off Highway is taking a worldwide method to off-road racing subsequent season. The large targets are principally marquee occasions throughout marathon MTB and gravel.
Race Calendar
On the calendar to date are the Absa Cape Epic, the Life Time Grand Prix, UCI Gravel World Sequence, Gravel Earth, Gravel Burn, and each the UCI Marathon and Gravel World Championships. Alongside the way in which, count on to see the crew at a choose few further worldwide races.
The season kicks off in February for the Specialised Off Highway Group at Santa Vall, with your complete crew racing aboard the Specialised Crux.
Velocio Joins as Official Attire Associate
Some of the important off-bike updates for 2026 is the addition of Velocio as an official crew companion. Velocio was the attire sponsor for Keegan and the Santa Cruz htSQD. The Santa Cruz htSQD helped Velocio develop its latest hydration vest and race kits; it’s no shock to see them accompany Keegan on his subsequent journey.
Velocio GM Sarah Leishman says the partnership builds straight on work already performed with Keegan Swenson in the course of the 2025 season, together with the event of a proprietary race go well with. Increasing that collaboration throughout the entire crew allows Velocio to advance gravel-specific product design. We’re pondering this implies extra hydration options and pocket-heavy skinsuits, ideally with sustainability-focused supplies.
Swenson echoed that sentiment, noting Velocio’s willingness to hearken to athlete suggestions and take a look at unconventional concepts, together with its renewed attire program that emphasizes environmental duty—nonetheless uncommon in efficiency race kits.
SRAM | RockShox
SRAM and Rockshox are each signed on for the 2026 season with the brand new Specialised Off-Highway Group. This partnership additionally comes as no shock. The Specialised Group labored with each SRAM and Rockshox final season, and so did the Santa Cruz htSQD. We count on to see quite a lot of RED XPLR builds and hopefully some further wild faring forks within the combine as effectively (pictured above).
Specialised and Roval will provide the rest of the crew’s tools. Meaning – footwear, tires, bikes, handlebars, and wheels.
2026 Specialised Off-Highway Group Roster
If these names are new to you, it solely takes a second to go looking, and also you’ll know precisely why they’re a part of this new Specialised powerhouse.
Womens Squad
Annika Langvad heads into the season as one of the crucial adorned off-road racers of her era. With a number of world titles and 6 Cape Epic victories on her résumé, she’s lengthy been a benchmark for consistency on the very high of the game. After returning to elite competitors with instant affect, Langvad seems as composed and harmful as ever.
Geerike Schreurs comes from a background spanning marathon, XC mountain biking, and high-level gravel racing. Schreurs has proven clear upward momentum in latest seasons, with sturdy performances in UCI occasions, Traka, and Unbound underscoring her rising presence on the worldwide stage.
Sofia Gomez Villafañe stays one of the crucial dynamic riders in fashionable gravel racing. A confirmed winner on the sport’s largest occasions, she combines energy with sharp race instincts. Her aggressive method and tactical consciousness have persistently delivered standout outcomes, making her a constant risk throughout long-distance gravel and marathon codecs.
Mens Squad
Keegan Swenson continues to anchor the lads’s program as one of the crucial versatile off-road racers in North America. Equally snug throughout gravel, marathon, and cross-country disciplines, Swenson’s resume consists of a number of general titles and marquee victories. In 2026, he’ll carry that momentum into Marathon MTB racing worldwide whereas carrying the World Champion jersey.
Mads Würtz Schmidt brings confirmed WorldTour pedigree and late-race punch to the gravel scene. A former highway World Champion, Würtz Schmidt has transitioned seamlessly into off-road racing. He’ll line up within the European Champion jersey at gravel races across the globe in 2026.
Matthew Beers rounds out the roster with unmatched stage-race expertise. A multiple-time Cape Epic champion, Beers is extensively considered one of many strongest and most reliable engines in marathon racing. His energy, expertise, and team-first mentality make him a cornerstone of the Specialised Off-Highway Group.
We’re excited to see what the 2026 season has in retailer. One factor is for positive: every rider listed above will likely be marked for each single race they line up for. Try the gear at Specialised.com.
