Velo29 Events
Cheshire Cat Sportive
Long Route
23 March 2025
HQ and Parking – Crewe Alexander FC Crewe CW2 6EB
Stats
Distance: 104mi (167.5km)
Elevation: 5844ft (1781m)
Ride Time: 7- 10 hours
Feed 1: Horton 27mi (43.5km)
Feed 2: Goostray 55.1mi (88.7km)
Feed 3: Norley 74.7mi (120.2km)
Price: £39.00
In the week before the event from 10am Tuesday until 18:00 Thursday we need you to complete a Pre-Event Questionnaire and book a time slot. ESSENTIAL please.
Please collect rider packs from the HQ on your way to the start line.
No entries on the day.
Entries close on Sunday night 1 week before the event.
For any questions relating to Pre-Event Questionnaire or Time Slot Booking email depart@velo29.com
The Cat is the UK’s biggest open road Sportive and the long route is the ride which many think about when they talk about The Cat!
Over 100 miles and 1,673m of vert makes it tough in any Sportive riders book! The map shows how much ground we cover, it’s huge! A lot of Cheshire, some Stoke (pot holes!) and we crest the foot hills of the Peak, well….2 of these foot hills are technically mountatins!
After a steady ‘roll out’ from Crewe Alexandra Football Club, you find yourself meandering around quiet country lanes of Cheshire, warming your legs up for the first challenge of the day, Mow Cop after just 20 miles. From Mow Cop we rapidly descending into Biddulph before….another pretty challening to Biddulph Moor.
Here we find the 1st of 3 Long route feeds, Horton is stocked as your breakfast feed with some great pastry snacks, carb bars, High5 and a hot brew.
We reamin quite high as we head towards Meerbrook and the highest point on the course (Gun Hill Road) at 355m which we crest after 54km.
This part of the course is really stunning as we head down and then sharply back up to Barlow Hill, a climb that is 10% in places, all the way up to the 344m summit.
From here it pretty much is all down hill and the way to feed 2 at 88km! The biggest feed stop of the year at Goostrey Sports Pavillion.
If this isn’t enough, there’s still another 63 miles to go if your legs are strong enough to last the distance, rolling through the Cheshire countryside and forested areas of Delamere Forest taking in the 3rd feed stop, again a FULL FAT FEED! Finally we return to Crewe where you will be greeted by an atmospheric finish line, offering free post ride erdinger alkoholfrei and BBQ Sausage Bun to enjoy whilst celabrating an awesome day out with your new finishers medal!
One to add to the list if you’ve never ridden The Cat before or come back as part of your early season tradition enjoying another great day out with Velo29.
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