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Posted Nov 20th 2007, 12:25pm
by Chris Ward
Cape Epic (128 days to go))
Another year, another 9 day, 900k off road race to get through. Im not a beginner anymore though! This will be my 5th mountain bike race - sounds like a tough one though!
I've entered the Cape Epic which is part of the trio of ultimate mountain bike races. Trans Alps and Trans Rockies make up the mountain bikers axis of evil single track.
I have done the other two so now to compete the trilogy with Cape Epic. 900ks off road through the amazing garden route of South Africa. From Georgetown to Cape Town at Easter 2008. Up the mountains and down to the beach every day - every single baking hot, dry day - therefore its perfect that all my training will take place in the baking, dry heat of a mid winter Bracknell forest in sunny Berkshire!
I am 44 and started riding on a road bike 4 years a go. I managed to finish a few races and have enjoyed the miles on the road. Last year someone in my club asked if anyone wanted to partner him on the hardest mountain bike race in the world (the Trans Alps). I agreed and since then have spent most of my miles either off road - or laying on it, after trying to self-teach an old dog new tricks and see if I can push my body further than my four kids already push it...
my partner in all this is the slightly more novice Bill Gilbert, who i did the Rockies with and for which the Cape will be his 4th mountain bike race.
So we're not really mountain bikers (could you tell). This blog is more about two 40 something blokes, taking on a challenge too far (perhaps) and seeing if we can train through a winter, stay friends and get to the end of the 900k with our bodies and bikes intact...
So I've done the entry - I'd better start training. Just remembered though, that Im running a marathon next weekend so single track training will have to wait for a week or two - back to the coffee then...
Posted Nov 5th 2007, 4:05pm by Chris Ward
Calling All Riders...
New Road, BMX and MTN Biking sites on isporty and fantastic competiton.
On isporty you can now get all the latest cycling news, photos, chat, videos and blogs for your favoured discipline, road racing, mtn biking or BMX.
These are collated for you from thousands of cycling sites around the world to bring you everything right up to the minute.
Also, if you want to join in, simply click straight through to the external site or upload your photos, videos and blogs right here on isporty.
To celebrate this, we have five copies of the fantastic Pro Cycling Manager PC game to win. Simply mail me with your choice as to which is the best cycling discipline out of road racing, mtn biking or BMX and your reason why. The 5 best win the games!
We also are hosting the BBC Sport cycling community on isporty so check them out and if you have a strong view about anything to do with cycling please join in there.
Keep riding through the dark and cold nights and be ahead of the peloton when spring arrives...
chris
Comments
Posted Sep 13th 2007, 10:44pm by DYNAMITE! London Dynamo's newsletter
DYNAMITE! #158, 07.09.07
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DYNAMITE! The OFFICIAL London Dynamo Newsletter #158, 07.09.07
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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, sunny intervals, 22C max, wind NW 5mph; Sun, sunny intervals, 20C max, wind N 2mph +++
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WORD GAMES
+++ Olympic-sized challenge for nit-picker +++
The brigade of fact-checkers who wade through Britain's top Dyna-matic news update pride themselves on being able to spot a trifling inaccuracy at 20 paces - so you can imagine their surprise when not one but two criticisms were levelled at them this week, the first arriving within minutes of our last edition hurtling down the lead pipe attached to the Dynamo Towers server. No doubt emboldened by rumours that an MBE is on its way for his work on the London 2012 project, quick-off-the-mark ALEX 'BALFIE' BALFOUR took issue with a quip that rounded off the closing item about 'RADAR' RUSS TURNER's sporting aspirations for his new-born daughter Isabel, which read: "All he needs is an under-fives category for the 2012 Olympics!" Nit-picking Balfie writes: "Great newsletter as usual. I am, however, obliged to ask you to refer to the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games in future editions, there being no such things as 'the Olympics'." Balfie's dedication to his role is renowned, which is why it is admirable that he will undoubtedly take on the challenge of writing another 2,310,000 e-mails, as that is currently the number of hits "London Olympics" gets on Google. Undaunted by the task, he goes on: "If you are unwilling to acknowledge and act upon my pedantry I will have no choice but to decorate your bicycle with the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games emblem." Sadly, the threat of that punishment probably won't affect our future conduct, as the latest bicycle added to the DYNAMITE! stable has attracted ridicule as easily as the infamous 2012 logo - although that hasn't stopped Alex himself scoffing at Specialized's Langster London... http://tinyurl.com/2j42e5. You cheeky swine! The second criticism directed at this publication came from GUY 'THE ENGINE' POWDRILL, who was miffed with us for omitting to mention in issue #155 that RICHARD 'WIN 'EM' SIMMONDS had the advantage of a tailwind when he visited the Staplefields course for the final Surrey League time trial, where he knocked 1min 50secs off the previous week's winning time set by Guysie. Interestingly, the ever-competitive derivatives trader declined to pit himself against Richard at the National Time Trial Championships in Holmes Chapel, Cheshire, which saw the relentless high-achiever put in a phenomenal ride to bag 14th place among the top pointy-hatters in the country... http://tinyurl.com/2qn4k3. You can read Rich's exhaustive account of his supreme effort on the forum... http://tinyurl.com/2vnh5w ...but before you do, let's head over to West London for an event where the competitors look even more bizarre than the skinsuit set. It's time the strap on those blades...
HELTER SKATER
+++ Confusing roller race leaves Garratt in a spin +++
Kit co-ordinator PAUL 'CANNONBALL' CALLINAN recently rejected a delivery of Dynamo shorts which had been mistakenly cut to reveal rather more thigh than polite society allows - but MARTIN 'COMEBACK' GARRATT could well have done with a pair to help him get the camp skater look for an unusual event at Hillingdon on Sunday. Having applied blister-avoiding plasters to his plates of meat, the lanky lad literally got his skates on for the London Inline Marathon, where he found himself getting lapped within three miles of the start as two pros from New Zealand whooshed round at a ridiculous pace. He wasn't alone, as the entire field had already fragmented into small groups and individuals. Technique-challenged Martin, who tried in vain to put some power down, admits: "I'd been lapped about five times before the halfway point, so the lap board bore no relation to my race. After about 1hr 10mins, the race was about to be won, and some happy-looking people pulled over. I carried on, unsure of how many laps I had yet to do. Apparently this is a common problem - most people I spoke to lost count at some point. In the end I pulled over to find out how many times my chip had been registered and was told I had another six laps to do." What a shambles! Having survived the race, plucky Mart invested in a skating DVD which features someone called Chad Hedrick doing about 30mph. Something tells us he'll be back in 2008!
KIT'S BACK!
+++ Your chance to snap up garments +++
Speaking of Martin, dozens of Dynamates have already signed up for the inaugural Dynamo Club Championships... http://tinyurl.com/2fe8bs ...which, of course, is the brainchild of the hard-working Chelsea chappy himself. And to make sure you look the part on Saturday 13 October, the committee will be selling tons of kit for one day only. You're sure to be tempted by the wealth of blue, black and orange outfits on offer, so make sure you're in the Roehampton Gate car park at 11am on Saturday 15 September. Cash or cheque only. Bring lots - you are sure to be tempted!
MISTAKEN AWAY
The final errors have been inadvertently placed in this edition, which means there's just enough time to thank everyone who sent stuff in for this issue before it's sent away in an imperfect state. Always remember we are a grievous mistake, but we would be nothing without you, out minor errors. 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 another reader prepares a letter of complaint, 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 a quibble.
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.
Comments
Posted Sep 7th 2007, 12:58pm by DYNAMITE! London Dynamo's newsletter
DYNAMITE! #157, 31.08.07
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DYNAMITE! The OFFICIAL London Dynamo Newsletter #157, 31.08.07
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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, sunny intervals, 21C
max, wind NW 6mph; Sun, sunny intervals, 22C max, wind W 9mph +++
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CLOSE CALL
+++ Need to win a stage race? Get DYNAMITE! on the blower +++
Having serviced and built many of the race-winning steeds in the Dynamo stable, compact Dyna-mechanic SAM 'SLAM DUNK' HUMPHESON can rightly claim to have played a vital part in numerous club victories over the years - so it is only fitting that the spanner-wielding sensation should finally emerge from the shadows of his Hampton Wick workshop to engineer a win of his own. Messages of congratulations have been flooding in... http://tinyurl.com/2pw5th ...since he walked off with 1st place at the Cycles Dauphin Army CU 3-Day on Sunday... http://tinyurl.com/ypqbzt ...and DYNAMITE! is proud to have made a small yet significant contribution to his success in the 2/3 event by navigating him towards the Dunsfold circuit for the second day of racing. Perhaps his mind was still preoccupied with thoughts of how he had managed to go three seconds slower than GUY 'THE ENGINE' POWDRILL at the 1.5-mile Box Hill time trial the previous evening... http://tinyurl.com/28us46 ...but Sam's directional skills nevertheless betrayed him by guiding his spacious Volvo estate to Cranleigh, Surrey - seven miles from the start of the stage in Loxwood, West Sussex. Thankfully, a last-ditch telephone call to this publication guided him to the start with minutes to spare, although we can't claim any credit for Sam's GC-winning move on the final stage at Ewhurst, which saw him get into the decisive break on the first lap with big-hitters from Norwood Paragon and Agiskoviner before bagging 2nd place on the dreaded Leith Hill... http://tinyurl.com/2fxeuh. A quality field held off for around 50 miles and a killer finishing climb - now that's a candidate for Dynamo ride of the year! The self-styled "thrilla from Herne Hilla" wasn't the only Dynamate who managed to get lost this weekend - so let's turn on the sat nav to see if we can find a missing 'Mo. It's time to send out a search party...
WINNING STREAKY
+++ Second Palace win in a row for Danish dazzler +++
Displaying a questionable grasp of geography on a par with that of his countryman Michael 'Mexico' Rasmussen, baffled Dane-a-'Mo RUNE 'SIZZLER' SANBECK spent Friday evening desperately driving around Dorking in a fruitless hunt for the starting line of the Box Hill time trial. Try looking up next time - you can't miss it, pal! Taking pity on frazzled Rune, who had rushed to the start of the 3-Day following a hectic week of partying, the kind Surrey League officials gave the non-starter a time of 6mins, which allowed him to begin the next day as Lanterne Rouge - but after completing stage two, the Scandanavian smoothie opted to skip the final day as he had a hot date. And the lucky lady must have rejuvenated parts that Dr Fuentes can't reach, because the dashing Dane took 1st place at the 3/4 event at Crystal Palace on Tuesday, giving him his second successive victory on the South London circuit. Incredible stuff! The 18-lap dash to beat the rapidly-encroaching sunset also saw ROB 'THE SAINT' JEFFROY nab 7th - and TORKEL DOHMERS claimed 3rd, seemingly untired after his strong ride during the 3-Day which bagged him 13th on the second stage... http://tinyurl.com/24kk2u. Over in the E/1/2 race, 3-Day champion SAM 'SLAM DUNK' HUMPHESON finished 4th, and STUART 'EASY PEASY' SPIES came 9th... http://tinyurl.com/2cjfwu ...but as darkness fell on the final Palace fixture of the year, confused Warrick Spence of Cyclefit was left to do an extra lap of the circuit, seemingly unaware that his lone breakaway had already won him the race. He'd probably still be there if London Cycle Sport's John Mullineaux hadn't shouted at him to stop!
PICS OF THE BUNCH
+++ Hot shots from Box Hill +++
The items after this one will, we promise, be a 3-Day-free zone - but this edition of your favourite Dynamatic update would not be complete without a mention of the chaotic conditions surrounding the Box Hill TT caused by a film crew shooting an advert for, would you believe, an eco-friendly car. Riders warming up on the climb were stopped by meeja types armed with walkie-talkies who explained they were shooting rubbish bags being released into the air. The idea, apparently, was to show how much energy could be saved by switching to a green motor - although the crew's convoy awkwardly backing out of the small car park on the first bend of the zig zag didn't look particularly friendly to the environment or to the riders, who had to carefully manoeuvre around the vehicles to reach the starting line. Filming the ad delayed the start of the time trial by 40 minutes, which meant some competitors rode in near-darkness - but at least the setting sun helped to create two of the most glorious 'Mo-related photographs this publication has ever seen, both of which feature GORDON 'KEN-A-LIKE' KENNEWAY... http://tinyurl.com/3yepr8 http://tinyurl.com/34p6kk. Unfortunately, 3-Day champion SAM 'SLAM DUNK' HUMPHESON doesn't look quite so immaculate in another Paul Wright shot, as the zip on his skin suit broke while he took a last-minute Jimmy Riddle... http://tinyurl.com/ysja8c ...but at least the torn-open-at-the-chest image makes it look like he's about to change into the superhero alter-ego that he uses on the Dynamo forum. Yes! Whenever bike races are menaced by pointless delays, Bicycle Repair Man is ready!
HANTS THE WAY TO DO IT
+++ Simmonds scores two PBs in three days +++
Proving once again that he is a giant among 'Mos, relentless high-achiever RICHARD 'WIN 'EM' SIMMONDS scored not one but two personal bests at a couple of time trials in Hampshire over the Bank Holiday weekend. Having notched up 53:01 at the North Hampshire Wheelers' 25 in Bentley on Saturday, Rich was slightly miffed at missing out on 3rd place and a cash prize by a mere one second. Then, on Monday, he knocked a massive three-and-a-half minutes off his PB for a 50 by clocking 1:48:46 at the a3crg event in Liss... http://tinyurl.com/2ybk48 ...and he almost fell off his bike with exhaustion at the finishing line. The experience should be good practice for this weekend's National Time Trial Championships, where he will be up against the likes of David Millar and Michael Hutchinson. "It's a Who's Who of riders who can give me a good kicking," Rich muses, "so I'll just have to go harder than I've ever done and see what happens." Good luck, buddy!
CROSS TALK
+++ Tips and ideas for knobbly-tyred newcomers +++
Off-road fan RUSSELL 'RUSTY' SHORT will be running a cyclo-cross training session in anticipation of the fast-approaching season. The focus will be on tips for riders new to the discipline, and all you need to do is bring an off-road bike of any type to the Roehampton Gate café in Richmond Park at 9am on Saturday 8th September. Enjoy!
LITTLE RADAR OF LIGHT
+++ Turner's a daddy +++
Finally, DYNAMITE! would like to congratulate 'RADAR' RUSS TURNER on the birth of his daughter Isabel at Kingston Hospital on Monday night. Hard-as-nails Jane - that's Mrs Radar to you - opted for a water birth with no pain relief, so the lively 6lb 12oz tot has already had her first swim. "It's a drug-free start to her sporting career," beams Russ. Now all he needs is an under-fives category for the 2012 Olympics!
SAT'S ALL FOR NOW
The sat nav has graciously guided you to the end of our journey together, which means that there is just enough time to thank everyone who sent in stuff for this issue before we realise that the bridge marked out on the screen is actually a precipitous ravine. Always remember we are your Tom Tom, but we would be nothing without you, our wide-ranging roads. 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 we decide to stick with our dog-eared copy of the Collins Road Atlas in future, 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 Google maps.
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.
Comments
Posted Sep 7th 2007, 12:58pm by DYNAMITE! London Dynamo's newsletter
DYNAMITE! #156, 24.08.07
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DYNAMITE! The OFFICIAL London Dynamo Newsletter #156, 24.08.07
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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, sunny, 25C max, wind NW 5mph; Sun, sunny, 22C max, wind N 7mph +++
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ROULED OUT
+++ Joy drained from our famous soundproof bunker +++
To judge from the constant supply of laughs, the well of hilarity from which this publication is drawn each week would appear to be inexhaustible - but, sadly, our humour supply has run drier than one of NICK 'CAPTAIN' PEACOCK's witticisms due to a heavy work schedule for another publication. Believe it or not, DYNAMITE! has been beavering away on the in-depth cycling publication Rouleur, and after seven days of wading through such serious matters as Fausto Coppi's legendary performance on the Puy de Dome in the 1952 Tour de France and the iconic significance of the Roubaix velodrome's showers, the impetus to joke about, say, GUY 'THE ENGINE' POWDRILL's absurd shoe fetish has deserted us. Nevertheless, issue six of the upmarket mag is a belter which includes a great piece on climbers by Robert Millar's biographer Richard Moore and a nice interview with veteran Brit road racer Malcolm Elliott, who appears to have been given a trendy Wiggins-esque hair makeover for the accompanying fashion photoshoot. We kid you not! Thankfully, two of the more notable 'Mo stories of the past week have already appeared on the forum, so a big thanks go to CHARLIE 'VICI' BLACKMAN for relating her adventure at the National Womens' Road Race Championships... http://tinyurl.com/2v8kl4 ...and MARTIN 'COMEBACK' GARRATT for detailing his bottom-kicking at the 5-Day... http://tinyurl.com/2q5qm5 ...as both posts have saved us a considerable amount of time during this very busy week. The forum will soon have details of the Dynamo kit sale, which will be on Saturday 15th September - but for now let's head over to West London to hear how the Dyna-minnows are getting along. Get ready to open that first aid kit...
CRASH BROWN
+++ Crit victory for 4th cat +++
In an unusual turn of events, the 4th cat race at Hillingdon finished without any spills this week - so hats off to the 2nd-placed Economic Energy rider who made up for this notable omission by spooning into the back of ALEXIS 'GET OUTTA TOWN' BROWN after they had passed the chequered flag. The now-upgraded 3rd cat, who blasted through the pack to take 1st, commendably managed to keep himself upright, which is more than can be said for the bloke who bumped into him. Ouch! Eyewitness ROB 'HAPPY, HAPPY' HARROLD had a ringside seat for the incident as he had just crossed the line in 3rd place... http://tinyurl.com/2ulbk2 ...but despite accruing more than 10 points, the ex-oarsman will be racing in the 4s a little while longer as he has only just got around to purchasing a full BCF licence. His Dyna-moniker should go some way to relieving his disappointment, as he reveals: "My former boatie crewmates have applauded the revival of the 'Happy' nickname, for it was they who first bestowed it in a moment of extreme wit." Don't thank us - thank loose-lipped WILL 'SEE YA' HAYTER, pal!
PERFECT '10'
+++ Simmonds scores personal best +++
He was pipped for the top spot at last week's Surrey League time trial - but pointy-hat perpetrator RICHARD 'WIN 'EM' SIMMONDS put the smile back on his face by recording a new personal best of 20:55 at the wet and windy Kingston Wheelers' 10-mile event in Bentley, Hants on Saturday... http://tinyurl.com/34doll ...which also saw ALEXIS 'GET OUTTA TOWN' BROWN finish in 23:22. Buoyed by his performance, Rich ventured to Tempsford, Beds, the following day but ended up doing what he reckons was an "absolutely crap" 25. He admits: "I just couldn't get my heart rate up. Ended up with a 55 flat, but it's supposed to be a fast course. Didn't bother sticking around to see what Michael Hutchinson did, but I'm guessing it was under 50 minutes. Bugger." That means the Dynamo big-hitter will have the bit between his teeth when he does a 25- and a 50-mile time trial during the Bank Holiday weekend. Good luck, buddy!
LAFF OFF
The DYNAMITE! pun machine is showing signs of crackling back to life, which means there's just enough time to thank everyone who sent stuff in and apologise for this week's under-par performance before we recharge the old humour-box ready for a longer, improved performance in seven days' time. Always remember we are the punchline but we would be nothing without you, the set-up, 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 canned laughter is switched off, 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 beautiful, rich and deep quarterly journal (RRP: £9).
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.
Comments
Posted Sep 7th 2007, 12:57pm by DYNAMITE! London Dynamo's newsletter
DYNAMITE! #155, 17.08.07
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DYNAMITE! The OFFICIAL London Dynamo Newsletter #155, 17.08.07
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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, 20C max, wind SW 12mph; Sun, heavy showers, 20C max, wind NW 1mph +++
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HE'S GONE STU FAR
+++ Spies completes maddest event ever +++
Many 'Mos have amazed the DYNAMITE! editorial team over the years with their bonkers tales - but now STUART 'EASY PEASY' SPIES has proved he is the Dyna-maddest of the lot by surviving the Norseman Xtreme Tri in Eidfjord, Norway, which covers the distance of an Ironman event and adds 16,000ft of height gain just for the sheer hell of it. Readers who have yet to enjoy the screwy Saffa's account of his deranged day should head over to the forum... http://tinyurl.com/ytptr7 ...while any Dynamates looking for a less insane challenge can now sign up to JOE 'BLOW' HEMMANT's domestic excursions, one of which was previewed in this publication last week... http://tinyurl.com/yu7g8o. But before you run off like a lunatic escaping the asylum, let's find out which of Dynamo's big-hitters was mad at himself for missing out on the top spot in West Sussex. It's time to go insane with rage...
TRIAL AND TRIBULATION
+++ Simmonds miffed by 2nd place +++
He was a whopping 1min 50secs faster than last week's Surrey League time trial winner GUY 'THE ENGINE' POWDRILL - but despite covering the testing 26-mile Staplefield course in 1:01:46, RICHARD 'WIN 'EM' SIMMONDS ended up taking 2nd place at the final event in the mini-series on Saturday. Curses! Despite his intense displeasure at missing out on the top spot by 22 seconds, Rich's performance was nevertheless part of a strong Dynamo outing which saw WILL 'SEE YA' HAYTER nab 5th with a time of 1:06:20, while GORDON 'KEN-A-LIKE' KENNEWAY partnered DAVID 'PINKY' GARDNER to take the No.5 spot in the two-up table, one place ahead of DAVID 'DORIAN' STREULE and RICHARD 'PLACING' MASON. Wonder women JENNY 'J-LLOYD' JONES and CHARLIE 'VICI' BLACKMAN beat the other ladies' team by more than 16 minutes - and they saw off a male squad from Brighton in the process... http://tinyurl.com/you3df. You showed 'em, girls!
DOING IT THE MART WAY
+++ Williamson refuses to cheat at London Tri +++
Diligent rule-observer MARTIN 'PIN-UP' WILLIAMSON was pleased to see some top competitors getting busted for breaking the no-drafting edict at the London Triathlon a couple of weeks ago - and despite dropping back to avoid penalties on the 23.5-mile bike course, the Kingston hunk still managed to finish 5th in the sub-2:30 group with a time of 1:59:18. Interestingly, he appears to have beaten someone called James Cracknell, while the chap who came 1st is actually Third... http://tinyurl.com/2r8beo. That's the wacky world of triathlon for you! Martin followed up his top five place by venturing to Nottingham last weekend for the National Relay Championships, where his four-man team emerged from the water in 16th place, moving up to 2nd during the run before finishing 4th overall. Martin reveals: "We pretty much only got beaten by people without jobs." There should be a rule against them entering!
ROBIN'S ZEST
+++ Old-timer promoted +++
Fired-up fifty-something ROBIN 'OSSIE' OSBORNE was one point shy of promotion when he returned from holiday this week - so you can imagine his joy at earning a 3rd cat licence by taking 6th place at the Hillingdon 4th cat event on Tuesday. Well done, pal! Self-styled "old git" Rob reveals: "I'm pretty chuffed as this is my first year of racing at the tender age of 50. I had planned to learn to race this year and get my 3rd cat licence in 2008, so this is a mega bonus." The Hillingdon hero will no doubt be tempted to take part in the big boys' race, which this week saw PAUL 'MONTY' DELAHUNTY nab 4th... http://tinyurl.com/3azz23 ...after a trio of Agiskoviner riders took the podium places amid atrocious weather conditions... http://tinyurl.com/2l4ky6. Water result!
WHAT'S SUP, DOC?
+++ Legendary 'Mo reveals future plans over a coffee +++
On a final note, those who have been with the club since its inception may be interested to hear that DYNAMITE! came across none other than 'MEDICAL' MIKE DEBNEY supping a latte with a pal at the Fulham Palace Road branch of Starbucks on Wednesday evening. The winner of the very first Dynamo Beginners' Series race and star of countless stellar performances revealed that he has left Redhill in Surrey to take up a post at nearby Charing Cross hospital, so you can expect to see the dazzling doc at a Parkride in the not-too-distant future. The comeback starts soon, Dynamates!
JACKET IN
The men in white coats are coming to take us away, which means there's just enough time to thank everyone who sent in stuff for this issue before we're strapped into a straitjacket. Always remember we are simply nuts about you, but we need our weekly Dyna-medication, 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. We'd like to offer crazy big thanks to CHARLIE 'VICI' BLACKMAN, DAVE 'PINKY' GARDNER, SAM 'SLAM DUNK' HUMPHESON, RICHARD 'PLACING' MASON, IAN 'KING OF' PAINE and JOE 'CHEEKY BEGGAR STEGERS for turning up to marshal at the rained-off Crystal Palace races on Tuesday - and now, having tossed those wacky, soaking-wet kids a towel, 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 a cuckoo.
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.
Comments
Posted Sep 7th 2007, 12:56pm by DYNAMITE! London Dynamo's newsletter
DYNAMITE! #154, 10.08.07
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DYNAMITE! The OFFICIAL London Dynamo Newsletter #154, 10.08.07
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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, sunny, 24C max, wind W 1mph; Sun, sunny intervals, 23C max, wind S 3mph +++
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SUN-THING SPECIAL
+++ Dynamo road race is a sizzler +++
It had a motorbike outrider, a high-quality field and a squad of three cars following the competitors - but it was the Great British weather which made the 78-mile London Dynamo Summer RR seem even more like a professional event by uncharacteristically churning out enough heat to ensure some hefty Pyrenean-style time gaps, not to mention a large number of DNFs. Nice one, sun! Keeping his cool as the mercury hit 31 degrees on the hottest day of the year, event co-ordinator MARTIN 'COMEBACK' GARRATT watched the decisive five-man break emerge on the first climb of the day - and he winced as South East series contender Gary Dodd hit a massive pothole on the descent of lap two while chasing the quintet. That was his race over! Under-23 sensation Daniel Patten, whose impressive form has been honed among the hardmen of Belgian kermesses, hung on to take the win from break colleague Tim Beddingfield - and 18th-placed SAM 'SLAM DUNK' HUMPHESON outperformed former 'Mo Warrick Spence by being one of the few riders to reach the chequered flag... http://tinyurl.com/3dn75j. The official BCF commissaire gave petrol head PAUL 'ALL BLUE' HARKNETT the award for best driver while praising KIMBERLY 'CANUCK' KABATOFF's delicious banana and date loaf - and Martin would like to thank them along with everyone else who helped out. So DYNAMITE! is passing on a big "cheers" to DAVID 'GOLIATH' ANDREWS, TOBY 'HUBBY' BLACKMAN, MATT 'IRON' BRIDGE, PAUL 'MONTY' DELAHUNTY, DAVID 'PINKY' GARDNER, JOE 'BLOW' HEMMANT, DYLAN 'GORDON-A-LIKE' KENNEWAY, GORDON 'KEN-A-LIKE' KENNEWAY, RICHARD 'PLACING' MASON, FRANCIS McAULEY, PETA McSHARRY, GAVIN 'NO LYIN' RYAN, RUSSELL 'RUSTY' SHORT, MICHAEL 'LUNGER' SNEYD, DAVID 'DORIAN' STREULE, 'RADAR' RUSS TURNER and CRAIG WHITE. The race couldn't have happened without you, Dynamates! Mart is so pleased with the event that he is already drawing up plans to run the first-ever Dynamo team champs at Hillingdon on October 13 - details of which should appear soon on the forum, along with info about a possible track showdown with Manchester Wheelers pencilled in for January. But for now, let's stay at Staplefield as we reveal how some of the club's notable time triallists got on at the course 24 hours earlier. It's time to take those two climbs in the small ring...
POWD OUT
+++ Eager Engine forced to skip Palace +++
One of the more persistent questions to trouble the keen tactical mind of TONY 'CHUCKLES' SMEDLEY is why GUY 'THE ENGINE' POWDRILL doesn't often win road races, given his domination of the odd-shaped helmet brigade - and the towering tester gave his northern chum another performance to ponder on Saturday when he notched up a solo victory at the second Surrey League time trial event at Staplefield, West Sussex, beating crack two-up team DAVID 'DORIAN' STREULE and RICHARD 'PLACING' MASON by more than half a minute... http://tinyurl.com/2oj2k3. To celebrate posting a time of 1:03:36 on the testing 26-mile course, the image-conscious fop dialled the number of A Certain Hampton Wick Retailer and purchased yet another pair of ridiculously expensive ice-white Sidis before keying himself up for a visit to Crystal Palace. Unknown to his buddy Chuckles, Guy has spent years longing for a victory at the South London circuit - and the Goldman Sachs machine was all set to show Tony he could translate his time trial prowess into a crit win when he got a call from a major European fund manager, insisting that they change the venue for their top-level meeting that evening. And who was the spoilsport who put the kibosh on Powdrill's plan to race? Why, it was none other than jet-setting moneyman Tony Smedley himself! Oh, cruellest of ironies! Wandsworth wham-blammer IAN 'KING OF' PAINE and former 'Mo Warrick Spence joined Guy on Tuesday's list of absentees, which meant SAM 'SLAM DUNK' HUMPHESON was left to drive the pace en route to claiming 3rd in the 25-mile E/1/2 race, while tanned holidaymaker GORDON 'KEN-A-LIKE' KENNEWAY grabbed 10th to banish the memory of TT partner DAVID 'PINKY' GARDNER hauling him around Staplefield three days earlier. The 3/4 race saw ROB 'THE SAINT' JEFFROY nab 9th - but it was great Dane RUNE 'SIZZLER' SANBECK who stole the show with a win... http://tinyurl.com/2o5zto. What a way to bring home the bacon! Intrigued 'Mos who have never been to Palace before have the perfect opportunity to catch the action next week when the club carries out marshalling duties on the highly technical course... http://tinyurl.com/3c2957. Those florescent vests look particularly eye-catching on a sunny evening!
HARROLD BUOYED
+++ Podium place at Hillingdon +++
Great Dynamo performances at Palace week after week combined with an intermittent supply of results from Hillingdon has meant that this publication has overlooked the exploits of many Dyna-minnows slugging away on the rival West London circuit, so many thanks to the 'Mos who drew our attention to their top 10 placings at Tuesday's 4th cat race. Missing out on points as he doesn't yet have a full BCF licence, ROB 'HAPPY, HAPPY' HARROLD nevertheless braved the traditional stomach-churning bunch sprint to take 3rd while STUART HAMILTON took 10th - but it was ANDREW 'DIDDY' DAVIS who was popping the corks after his 5th place earned him a 3rd cat licence... http://tinyurl.com/2cohmp. Well done, pal! Andrew revealed: "Going racing on my wedding anniversary paid off, although I've still got some way to go on convincing my wife of this. Perhaps taking her out for a slap-up meal with my £10 winnings will help." Wimpy, here they come!
JUST SIMM TIME
+++ Late news from Alfold +++
In a typical burst of speed, Dynamo big-hitter RICHARD 'WIN 'EM' SIMMONDS rushed home from the Barry Elcombe Memorial RR on Wednesday night in a bid to beat the DYNAMITE! deadline - and we're pleased to have got his Dyna-mail just in time, because it turns out that he nabbed 9th in the super-tough 70-mile 1/2/3 race... http://tinyurl.com/25zf9l. Well done, pal! Rich, who was part of the successful nine-man break, had put in some time trialling in the run-up to the race on the Surrey League's Alfold circuit, doing a 21:12 for a 10-miler in Somerset last Tuesday and making his debut two days later at the Hounslow Wheelers' 10, where he did 22:38 on the hilly Chertsey course. He was accompanied at the latter event by JENNY 'J-LLOYD' JONES, who finished in 34 minutes due to going off-course at the roundabout - but she redeemed herself at Ashton Keynes, Wilts, on Sunday by doing a 50 in 2hrs 12mins after training for ten days straight. Rich adds: "I managed 1:52:43, which is annoying because it was a quick course and a pretty good day. I would have gone faster but chose to ride like a monkey." You'll just have to go back and do it all again, buddy!
DATE FIXED
+++ Intro to track racing +++
On a final note, our pals at Rapha have been in touch to invite members to Herne Hill velodrome next Sunday. The event, which is an introduction to track racing, includes instruction from British Cycling coaches plus a post-session lunch and, erm, a refreshing glass of wine. Just the one, mind - we don't want things getting out of hand. There will also be coached mountain biking sessions for children while their parents take their first tentative pedal strokes in the strange world of fixed gear riding... http://tinyurl.com/276kr8. Just don't embarrass junior by falling off!
FRAZZLED OUT
The searing ultra-violet rays have frazzled our brain cells, which means there's just enough time to thank everyone who sent stuff in for this issue before we have a long lie down in darkened room. Always remember we are a soothing application of after-sun cream, but we would be quite superfluous without your scorched skin. 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 blisters 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 a sunny smile.
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.
Comments
michael hodges
michael hodges