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DYNAMITE! The OFFICIAL London Dynamo Newsletter #147, 22.06.07
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+++ Having a blast every Friday +++ Dyna-mail race reports, news, views, and gossip to dynamite@londondynamo.co.uk +++ Have a peek at our pics – http://tinyurl.com/k34tf +++ Check out DYNAMITE! on the web – http://tinyurl.com/36xkay +++ WEEKEND WEATHER: Sat, light showers, 21C max, wind NW 12mph; Sun, heavy showers, 20C max, wind NW 13mph +++
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CRITS DITCHED
+++ Two races cancelled – but ‘Mos keeps on going +++
The screech of tyres as GUY ‘THE ENGINE’ POWDRILL drove off from Chertsey in a huff on Saturday expressed the frustration felt by his fellow ‘Mos after a booking mix-up at the MoD circuit lead to the day’s races being cancelled – and with Crystal Palace getting the black flag on Tuesday due to a potentially hazardous mid-race downpour, it looked like this edition of your favourite Dynamatic update was going to have noticeably fewer results than usual. There was always the possibility of padding out proceedings by reminding our readers to hit their reply button right this very second if they fancy going on SAM ‘EPIC’ WOODHOUSE’s much-anticipated ride to Goudhurst, Kent, the Sunday after next, as places on the minibus back to Hampton Court are filling up fast. But thankfully, members of Sam’s crack sportive unit have been inundating DYNAMITE! with tales of intrepid trips to some of the most challenging climbs in Britain and Italy – so come with us now to the north of England as we reveal how a familiar duo put their years of experience on the Sunday ride to good use. It’s time to go polka dotty…
THAT MAN AND ROBINS
+++ Surrey Hills heroes are fastest Dynamates in northern sportive +++
Many of the ‘Mos who regularly venture into the Surrey hills will have already witnessed the climbing prowess of gregarious grimpeurs SIMON ‘THAT ONE OUT OF SIMON AND GRAHAM’ RYNTJES and GRAHAM ‘THAT OTHER ONE OUT OF SIMON AND GRAHAM’ ROBINS – so it should come as no surprise that the jolly duo travelled to Cheadle Hulme, Cheshire, for the Polka Dot Challenge on Sunday… http://tinyurl.com/2j7szw. Inseparable to the last, the pair tackled the dreaded 25 per cent gradient of Winnats Pass and the seven other major climbs on the 105-mile course, which they finished together in 5hrs 39mins. Impressive stuff, fellas! Fellow Dottist JONATHAN ‘SNAPS’ GITTOS, who finished in 6hrs 26mins, reveals: “Some of the early climbs were slightly huge, but climbing out of Castleton was a grassy canyon that looked pretty forbidding. I should have realised something was up when the local motorists pulled over and chortled at us. The canyon reared up to become an asphalt cliff of 25 to 30 percent, and so began the Dynamo slow-motion eyeball-popping competition.” The wince on RALPH CARTER’s face, which you can see for yourself by selecting our Polka Dot Challenge gallery on the following link, suggests that he paid the price for finishing six minutes faster than Jonathan… http://tinyurl.com/k34tf …while over in Oxfordshire at roughly the same time, sportive debutant JEREMY ‘NO RELATION’ BOARDMAN took a more laid-back approach when he stopped for tea mid-way through the 71-mile Circuit of the Cotswolds, which he completed in 5hrs 11mins… http://tinyurl.com/2oeohp. Plucky ALEX ‘LEG WIPE’ MURRAY also recorded a leisurely time after he was dropped on the first climb of the 117-mile Highclere Castle sportive in Hampshire – but his chum RICHARD HUTCHINGS got into a series of fast-moving groups to finish the 117-mile course in 6:47:07, which won him gold… http://tinyurl.com/ysl9c3. Great stuff, pal!
CHAIN DISTRACTION
+++ Campbell’s mechanical leads to free gift at fondo +++
Over in northern Italy, DERMOT CAMPBELL managed to bag a Record Ti chain for free after his one broke on the way up the 2,000-foot Manghan, which was the highest climb in Saturday’s Gran Fondo Campagnolo… http://tinyurl.com/23q58u. His mechanical problem meant he finished the 132-mile course in 11:29:55, while ANDREW ELLIS crashed on the descent of the Passo Rolle as he removed his gilet, leading to him reaching the finish, bruised and scratched but otherwise intact, in 9:52:35. Doughty RICHARD HOULT stayed upright and mishap-free to take 716th among the 1,703 finishers, clocking in at 8:54:40. Well done, fella!
GIVE WHAT YOU CAN A-FORDE
+++ Charity ride to French capital +++
We polish off our round-up of Dynamo-related long-distance rides with the most impressive of the lot, which saw NATHAN FORDE cycle from London to Paris in four days last week to raise money for a children’s cancer charity called the Laura Crane Trust. Nathan, who is new to the sport and the UK, is well on his way to reaching £1,200, and you can help him along by donating through http://www.justgiving.com/pariscycle. Let’s get the mercury rising in that thermometer, Dynamates!
REE-MARKABLE
+++ Hemmant Jr is King of the Hills +++
He attacked from the gun and forced the winning move as the pack splintered behind him – so let’s all give TOM ‘HUMBLE’ HEMMANT a well-deserved “chapeau!” for taking 3rd at the 1/2/3 Giles Ree memorial race at Warninglid, West Sussex on Sunday… http://tinyurl.com/2s7lsk. Dynamo’s quiet man created the unstoppable break on the second lap of the gruelling 82.5-mile contest and won the King of the Hills prize, which MARTIN ‘PIN-UP’ WILLIAMSON joked “wasn’t bad for a fat lad”. Tom hit back: “At least I don’t have to breakfast on whey like he does to beef up his feeble triathlete muscles.” Oooh – get him, Dynamates! The cocksure quip is somewhat justified in the context of the St Margarets marvel’s recent results, which also include placing at last week’s E/1/2/3 Beccles RR in Ringsfield, Suffolk… http://tinyurl.com/2upz4r …although the modest ‘Mo reckons 6th was a “pretty bad” result, given that he and 5th-placed RICHARD ‘WIN ‘EM’ SIMMONDS were in a winning break of half-a-dozen riders. But it cannot be disputed that Tom pulled a world-class muck-covered race face at rain-soaked Hillingdon before claiming 4th in Tuesday’s E/1/2/3 race… http://tinyurl.com/29ora2. Incidentally, ANGUS ‘PADDLER’ MACALISTER took the No.3 spot in the 4th cat race that same night after lapping the bunch as part of a break of four – but despite being considerably taller than the girl he out-sprinted, the towering ex-rower still managed to keep his face hidden from the camera… http://tinyurl.com/ywxmwj. You’re too modest, pal!
YOU KENT BE SERIOUS
+++ Hooting cops unimpressed by sprint +++
Finally, JIM ‘CLARK’ KENT only discovered that the police took a dim view of the spread-out mass sprint at the Kenton RC 60th Anniversary race after he took 5th at the 3/4 event in Cheddington, Bucks on Sunday… http://tinyurl.com/2qotyo. The school-teaching sensation revealed: “Apparently the police were following the bunch and there was some hooting, but it’s hard to hear them when you’re in the zone.” They never learn!
BOOKED OUT
Like the booking that the Surrey League had made to secure the MoD circuit for Saturday’s races, this Dyna-missive is about to vanish into thin air, which means there’s just enough time to thank everyone who sent stuff in for this issue before those in charge begin scratching their heads. Always remember we are a date for your diary but we would be nothing without you, our main event. So please keep Dyna-mailing your race reports, news and gossip to the address in the “from” field of this message – or simply hit your reply button. The deadline, as ever, is Wednesday afternoon for Friday’s edition. And now, as the puzzled frowns begin to appear, it only remains for us to remind you about…
THIS WEEK’S RIDES
SATURDAY
9am: The Parkride. Richmond Park, roundabout by Sheen Gate. Four laps split into fast, intermediate and steady groups.
SUNDAY
8am: Kingston Gate, Richmond Park. Non-stop ride through Surrey Hills.
9am: Hampton Court bridge, south side, Surrey Hills ride. Fifty-ish miles at a steady pace. Stop at Box Hill for tea and cake. Bring a pump, inner tubes, drink, and an appointments book.
WEDNESDAY
7.30pm: Richmond Gate, Richmond Park. Steady ride to Chertsey, back via Weybridge, 28 miles.
So until next week, Dynamates, goodbye and happy riding.
The DYNAMITE! team.
The DYNAMITE! Files 
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