← All eventsThe Cheshire Cat Sportive
A classic late-March UK season-opener from Crewe, headlined by the savage short climb of Mow Cop, 'the Killer Mile' (~23% max). Long route ~104 miles / ~1,780m — front-loaded hills then a flat back half.
One of the UK's first big sportives of the year, the traditional season opener out of Crewe. Headlined by Mow Cop, the Killer Mile: a savage one-mile wall that ramps to 23% at around mile 20.
104 miles and 1,780m of climbing, but front-loaded. Mow Cop and the hilly block through Biddulph Moor are done by mile 40. After Wincle it flattens right out.
So it's two rides in one. Get the early climbs right and the flat back 60 miles reward a steady pace. Empty the tank on the wall and the run home becomes a lonely slog.
Is The Cheshire Cat Sportive for you?
- Riders with a short, punchy top end. Mow Cop's wall is a three to six minute near-max effort, not a long steady grind, so it rewards a sharp climb rather than pure diesel.
- Riders who pace themselves. The climbing is all done by mile 40, so those who ration the early effort finish strong instead of blowing up on the wall.
- Anyone who can sit in a group. The flat back 60 miles reward drafting and a steady rotation far more than soloing into the wind.
- Athletes wanting a big early-season target. It is a late-March opener to build toward, not a mid-summer A-race to peak for.
Training plan for The Cheshire Cat Sportive
A training plan for The Cheshire Cat Sportive isn't a generic base build. Beina reads the event's exact demands, looks at your specific profile and the time you actually have, and maps a highly adapted plan to the start line.
- Mow Cop at mile 20: around a mile at 11.3% average, ramping to 23%, hit on legs that are not fully warm
- The four climbs after it through Biddulph Moor and Rudyard, the day's hardest block
- 60 mostly flat miles home where holding a group and a steady pace decides your time
- Raw late-March weather: cold, often wet, with exposed flat sections in the wind
- 2x20 sweet spot and 3x10 threshold climbs for the hilly first 40 miles
- Steep wall reps: 6 to 8 by 2 to 4 min on a 15 to 25% pitch in a low gear, a straight Mow Cop simulation
- A 3 to 4 hour long ride ending with a 30 to 40 min flat tempo block on tired legs
- Group rides to practise drafting and holding pace for the flat back half
- Built from your current fitness and the time you actually have
- Adapts every week as Beina learns how you respond
- Syncs your sessions straight to Garmin and Wahoo
- One clear next session, never a wall of spreadsheet
