London Dynamo Newsletter #26, 24.09.04
WAAAAHHHHNNHUNDREEEERRRRD!
It goes without saying that ordinary clubs take many years to build up their membership base – but London Dynamo is no ordinary club. So it comes as no surprise that the south-east’s most formidable wheelfolk faction has this week hit the wonderful 100 mark. That’s right, gobsmacked reader – subscription chief RUSSELL ‘RUSTY’ SHORT received enrolment details this week from our 100th member. And the club is not even one year old! The lucky fella’s name is ROBERT GIBSON and the Newsletter would like to offer him a warm welcome to the Dynamassive community. Get in touch, pal – we’d like to know more about you! In the meantime, let’s hear how one of our more well-known Dynamates cemented his stunning comeback on Sunday after a nasty brush with a rubbish truck. Here comes the usual load of garbage…
DOOR-SOME
Tenacious teamster MARTIN ‘COMEBACK’ GARRATT has been clinging onto the hope of getting back into racing for most of the season – and the lanky lad finally proved he has put his nasty accident in Richmond Park behind him by clinching 2nd place at Alford on Sunday. Excellent work, sir! The first break in the 2/3 race was pulled back and the cheeky Chelsea chappie took a flyer up one of the climbs at around the halfway mark of the 100km event. He managed to get a gap, three other guys joined him and the break stuck. Delighted Martin reveals: “Shame the finish wasn’t uphill – but by the end I was grinning like a demented cat anyhow.” But he wasn’t feline fine before the race! He admitted to being “a bit under the weather” on the starting line – and the resourceful rider had to squeeze his bike into a titchy Vauxhall Corsa after a passing rubbish truck ripped off his car’s open door. Where’s MARTIN ‘PIN-UP’ WILLIAMSON and the spacious Dynamobile when you need it?
TRACKING HIM DOWN
Like Martin, mild-mannered northerner ‘GENTLEMAN’ JOHN OLDRIDGE is another Dynamate who doesn’t drop the Newsletter a line too often, mainly because he’s usually busy getting great results in races all over the country. But the genial journeyman has outdone himself this time by taking a bit of Dynamagic to the Czech Republic. What a fine ambassador! The plucky engineer was part of the seven-strong Great Britain rail squad who competed against teams from Switzerland, Germany and Austria in the Czech National Railways Championships in an improbably-named area of Bohemia called Usti Nad Labem. We’re not making any of this up, you know! The three-stage race in the north of the country saw John take 10th in both the opening 4km hill climb and the 100km road race before grabbing 8th in the hilly 30km time trial. He came 9th overall – now that’s a rail-ly good effort! Dozens of Dynamates will be saddened to hear that the terrific Tube worker will soon be going underground – or Leeds to be precise, which is where he’ll be working while enjoying a much-needed break from the south-east’s hectic racing scene. But it’s only a temporary Dyna-move, so we’ll see him back soon in the distinctive blue, black and orange livery of the capital’s most welcoming club next season. Hurrah!
HOME-WARD BOUND
John, incidentally, has competed in more stage races this year than any other ‘Mo – but his triple whammy fades in comparison to CHRIS ‘HOSPITAL’ WARD’s mammoth trek across this fair isle with his plucky pal Kevin Fitzgerald. The International Man Of Leisure contacted the Newsletter seconds after the intrepid pair reached John O’Groats on Thursday evening – and he had only one thing to say: “I’m ready for bed now.” Have a rest, pal – you deserve it! The duo’s sponsored end-to-end ride for two cancer charities saw them cover 1002 miles in 9 days, 23 hours and 40 minutes. We’re worn out just typing it! You can check out the full story of their epic trip or donate money at http://www.theplaygroupcharity.blogspot.com. And give Chris a hearty pat on the back next time you see him!
TUFT IT OUT
Finally, we bring news of a rift that has finally been healed. Regular readers will remember how CHRIS ‘CALAMITY’ CAMPBELL irked TOM ‘TUFTY’ DAVIES last month at Hillingdon when he accidentally chased down a break containing his team-mate in the final lap of the race. What a twit! Thankfully, Chris made amends by pulling out the stops to make sure Tom got his 3rd cat licence at the final 4/W/J event on the west London Circuit. Accompanied by DAVID ‘SMILER’ NORRIS, Chris sat on the front of the bunch during Saturday’s 45km race as Tom gritted his teeth and kept in a six-man break. Things got a bit hairy when the lank-haired lad and a Finsbury Park fella fell away from the four other riders in the leading group – but Tom still managed to beat the north Londoner to take 5th as his Dynamates held back the pack. Great teamwork, chaps!
END OF THE CENTURY
Rusty has filed Mr Gibson’s name in the Dynamo supercomputer and we’ve taken down the bunting to celebrate the arrival of the club’s 100th member. It’s going to be a very long time until we hit 200, but it will only be seven days until you find another instalment of moderately amusing Dynamatic data languishing in your inbox. Until then, remember that we are two fat zeroes and we would be nothing if we were not preceded by you, our commanding number one. So please keep Dyna-mailing your news, gossip, and further sightings of the elusive KEN ‘COUNT’ BUIST to news@londondynamo.co.uk. But PLEASE DO NOT REPLY TO THIS EMAIL ADDRESS. The deadline, as ever, is Wednesday afternoon for Friday’s edition. And now, as we begin taking bets on when we’re going to start losing members, it only remains for us to remind you about…
THIS WEEK’S RIDES
SATURDAY
The Parkride. Richmond Park, roundabout at Sheen Gate, 9am. Four laps split into fast, intermediate and steady groups. Anyone who wants to lead a group should leave a message at http://www.londondynamo.co.uk/forum/viewforum.php?f=21.
SUNDAY
Hampton Court bridge, 9am for Surrey Hills ride. 50ish miles at a steady pace. Bring a pump, inner tubes, drink, and a rum deal.
WEDNESDAY
Richmond Gate, Richmond Park, 7:30pm. Canter to Surrey and back.
So until next week, Dynamates, goodbye and happy riding.
London Dynamo Newsletter.
THE SMALL PRINT
THURSDAY, AUGUST 26, MKCACYCLESPORT.ORG SERIES, NATIONAL BOWL, MILTON KEYNES, 2/3, 51KM: 1 Joe Liversidge (Stevenage); 2 Graham Warby (unatt); 3 PHIL SHEEHAN (LONDON DYNAMO); 4 Mark Humphreys (Coventry); 5 Paul Freeman (Alpha); 6 Dave Brown (Team Milton Keynes); 7 Paul Rennie (St Ives); 8. Theo Pressner (Bath); 9 Paul Douglas (Luton); 10 Simon Smart (unatt).
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 18, BC WEST THAMES CIRCUIT RACE, HILLINGDON, 4/W/J, 45KM: 1 Victor Anderson (unatt); 2 J. Hughes (Bec CC); 3 N. Ragg (High Wycombe); 4 C. Greig (High Wycombe); 5 TOM DAVIES (LONDON DYNAMO); 6 P. Murrell (Finsbury Park).
SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 19, SURREY LEAGUE ROAD RACE, ALFORD, 2/3, 115KM: 1 Dave Larcombe (VC Meudon); 2. MARTIN GARRATT (LONDON DYNAMO); 3 Graham Wood (Team Luciano-Fondriest); 4 Martin Hutt (Hounslow and District Wheelers); 5 Richard Hare (Victoria/Ciclos Uno); 6 John Tuckett (Oxford University); 7 Philip Glowinski (VC De Londres); 8 Mark Scoular (Liphook Cycles); 9 Toby Neave (Southdown Velo); 10 James Wakelin (Evans); 11 Adrian Goatley (Freerider); 12 Stephen Ferris (VC Meudon); 13 Stephen Cave (Nomads); 14 Darrell Pembroke (Freerider); 15 Ramon Labiaga (Addiscombe).
The DYNAMITE! Files 
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