Irontwit

Yesterday, Sunday 30th March, was the Cheshire Cat cycle Sportive. This was my first event of the season and it consisted of 95 miles around the Cheshire lanes. The route was mostly flat with a few minor hills around the Delamere forest. There was, however, a big sting in the tail: Mow Cop. Mow Cop is an isolated hill on the edge of the Staffordshire Moors and the route ascended it after about 70 miles. For most of the ascent it’s just a fairly hard hill but the last 200 metres sees it rear up to a calf-shredding 25%. Apparently at least half the field walked up this section last year.

After horrendous weather on the Saturday, Sunday dawned bright and clear with a fresh breeze from the west. I rolled out from Knutsford Leisure Centre feeling good, but quite apprehensive as I’d never tackled a ride as long as this so early in the season. Luckily the first few miles were very easy and I worked in with a group to share the effort into the wind. Signposting was excellent as we navigated our way west to Delamere Forest where the first hills arrived. These proved to be relatively simple and I rolled into the first feed stop near Beeston Castle well under two hours. Here I met up with Mark, a rider from Glossop who I’d met out near Whaley Bridge on a ride recently, and we rolled at some pace on to the next feed down some quiet and very easy lanes. The sun was shining and as the route swung back east the wind was on our backs.

From the second feed we began to be aware that we had put some serious miles into our legs and we could see Mow Cop in the distance rearing above the Cheshire Plain like Mount Doom. Mark dropped back to help his friend Dave and I pressed on with Mark’s other mate, Matt. The organisers had helpfully put in an extra hill before Mount Doom just to soften our legs up and Matt was beginning to get worried about cramps in his calf. I was going well but was really worried about the coming climb. Matt and I had made a tactical decision to take it very easy on the approach, and we crawled like Hobbits towards the steep section at the top. The approach was much harder than I’d been led to believe and was horrified when I saw how steep the top section was. There was no alternative but to zigzag abjectly, and I apologise to the Mitsubishi 4X4 driver whose progress I reduced to a crawl.

At the time, after 70 miles it felt like the hardest hill I’d ever climbed and was mightily relieved as I rolled downhill to the final feed. Matt was suffering cramps quite badly and I helped him stretch out his calves before we set off on the last leg. Almost immediately there were two more hills, the sort that you’d romp up on your 25 mile evening training ride, but after 75 miles and Mow Cop in your legs they felt like a real struggle. We knew, though, that after these it was just a gentle roll back through the lanes to Knutsford. Unfortunately, some kind soul had taken all the signposts down.

I knew vaguely where the route was supposed to go, and because I was now on home territory, I knew the lanes around Withington too. Within a few minutes I’d picked up a train of about 30 riders who were lost. At every junction we came to there seemd to be riders approaching from every direction, and it was apparent that riders were becoming scattered all over Cheshire. The group pressed on, and eventually, as we approached Toft we picked up signs again – cue all the buggers who had been following me for miles while I slogged into a headwind dropping me like a stone as attacks went off the front! Ungrateful b*****ds .

Matt and I rolled into Knutsford Leisure Centre after 6hrs 23 minutes and 477th position out of about 1000 riders. I was really pleased to have finished such a long ride and apart from struggling up Mow Cop (I wasn’t alone) I felt pretty strong throughout. Good prep for this year’s Etape du Dales!

Picture copyright http://www.cyclosport.org

And here’s a video – I,m the guy after about 55 secs wearing the red/white 7-eleven top. Gives you a good idea about how brutal Mow Cop is.