The most successful team in gravel is … done? The htSQD was created to be Santa Cruz answer to its long-running Syndicate downhill mountain bike team. It quickly rivaled the OG’s successes but, it seems, will not match its longevity. Despite reigning as one of the top teams in gravel, htSQD will close its doors at the end of 2025
HtSQD closes with an all-star roster of Keegan Swenson, Alexis Skarda, Tobin Ortenblad and Ruth Holcomb. The team isn’t exactly on hard times or losing momentum. It helped Swenson earn a world championship title as well as adding to the team’s staggering win count back in North America.
Crucially, it also leaves that quartet of top U.S. riders without a team. It also means the North American gravel scene loses one of the major professional teams, and the team that played a major roll professionalizing the gravel scene over its five-year run.
htSQD: A team defined by dominance
Swenson is, as the all-star of North American gravel and the reigning XCM world champion, also the star of htSQD. Swenson’s raced in North American teams for a long time, riding with Cannondale 3Rox with a few Canadians, then Stan’s No-Tubes team. But he found a new level of success, perhaps better characterized as dominance, with htSQD. That includes a world championship XCM title along with a staggering 37 wins and a trio of Life Time Grand Prix titles. Along the way, he also twice set a new Leadville 100 record. Swenson has not revealed where he will race in 2026.
Alexis Skarda continues to mix gravel and mountain bike success, landing multiple XCM national titles, finishing in the top five of the Life Time Grand Prix for the last four years straight as well as wins at Breck Epic, Swiss Epic and a second at the iconica Cape Epic.
Tobin Ortenblad, long-time cyclocross, mountian bike and gravel racer, already announced that he’s staying with Santa Cruz, just in a different capacity. The SSCXWC winner (2023) will continue racing, just at select events. He’ll also be working more with the brand.
Ruth Holcomb, the latest addition to htSQD, immediately found success with the team. Holcomb won the U23 women’s Life Time Grand Prix series, including Leadvill 100. That earns her automatic entry to the series in 2026, though it’s not yet clear who she will be racing for.
A canary in the gravel mine?
The unexpected closure leaves less support for riders looking to make their way in the world of gravel racing. With gravel being the industry’s latest favored child, and the discipline brands seem to be pinning their hopes for future growth on, it is interesting (not the good interesting) to see one of the biggest names on the scene step back while enjoying such success.