Some starts to the season are about finding your rhythm… and others force you to prove what you’re made of right from the very first kilometre. The start of 2026 has clearly been one of the latter. Constant rain, accumulated mud, cold and relentless stages have marked the first events on the calendar, turning every race into a scenario where it’s not just your legs that count, but everything that keeps a bike running when conditions turn against you.
Events such as La Leyenda de Tartessos, the Mediterranean Epic, the Andalucía Bike Race and the Far West Race have all followed the same pattern: real toughness, the kind that builds up with the kilometres and sticks to every component. It is not just a question of physical demands, but of how the equipment responds when the environment turns against you.
In this context, ISB Sport has once again been present in a way that is entirely consistent with its DNA, supporting its teams wherever the competition becomes unpredictable. Klimatiza Orbea, Scott Monte Nevado by Flyz, Scott Calabandida and Massi ISB Sport have made a solid start, maintaining a constant presence in the race, occupying leading positions and racking up victories and podium finishes that reflect something deeper than the result. They reflect consistency, adaptability and, above all, sustained performance even when conditions show no mercy.
Natalia Fischer’s case is once again particularly telling. Her start to the season, dominating key races, not only confirms her competitive level but also highlights the importance of arriving fully prepared in a situation where every detail counts. Because when the mud comes into play, the difference often lies not in going faster, but in being able to maintain performance when others start to falter.
It is at that moment that the equipment ceases to be invisible. Mud knows no brands or names; it accumulates, penetrates, wears down and multiplies friction at every critical point on the bike. During this start to the season, we have seen situations where every turn of the wheel required extra effort, where the build-up of water and dirt forced the components to operate far beyond
their ideal conditions.
For ISB Sport, this scenario is not an exception, but the starting point. The brand has spent years developing products based on the realities of competition, understanding what happens when a bearing ceases to rotate under optimal conditions and must continue to function in a hostile environment. It is not just about resistance, but about maintaining performance when everything around it is pushing in the opposite direction.
It is this approach that has shaped the new range of bearings, featuring a black oxide coating and a special magenta-coloured FCNC (Full Contact / No Contact) seal. Designed specifically for high-humidity conditions and constant exposure to water, they have been developed as a direct response to the challenges faced in races such as those at the start of this season. Improved sealing, protection against the ingress of external agents and durability in extreme conditions are not theoretical concepts, but needs identified in the field.
Because in competition, simply holding out is not enough. The component must continue to function with precision, without compromising performance and without becoming a weak point. And that is only achieved when product development is grounded in reality, when every improvement responds to situations that have already occurred and will continue to occur. In this process, the teams play a fundamental role. Organisations such as Klimatiza and Massi ISB Sport do not merely compete; they play an active part in this development. Every race becomes a test bed, every stage a source of information, and every extreme condition an opportunity to continue evolving. It is an ongoing process where product development and competition advance hand in hand, without taking shortcuts.
The start of this season has proven it once again. From the persistent mud of Tartessos to the ever-changing conditions of the Mediterranean Epic or the cumulative demands of the Andalucía Bike Race, via events such as Far West where the terrain and weather once again place the spotlight on reliability, the constant has remained the same: being prepared for the unpredictable. Meanwhile, the calendar continues to move forward, and with it come new challenges. Our presence at the Cape Epic adds an even greater dimension to this start to the year. A race where the demands multiply day by day and where every detail counts. Without getting into results—because sport is always written in the present tense—what is clear is ISB Sport’s commitment to being on the stages where performance is truly defined.
Because in the end, beyond the rankings, there is something that remains. Confidence. The confidence of a rider who knows his equipment will perform, the confidence of a mechanic who prepares every bike with no margin for error, the confidence of a team competing at the highest level, knowing that every component must be up to the task. That is, probably, the true outcome of this start to the season. One that isn’t always visible, but which is present in every ride, every stage and every race where conditions force you to go the extra mile. And it is there, precisely there, where ISB Sport continues to work. Where the mud ceases to be a problem and becomes the best possible stage to demonstrate what it’s all made of.
