Veteran - LVRC

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Executive Committee 2002 Chairman Peter Ryalls, 11 Devonshire Close, Dronfield, Sheffield S18 1QY 01246-413515 Secretary Peter Wilson 52 Knoll Drive, Southgate, London, N14 5NE. 0208-368-0698 Treasurer John Flear, 14a Water Lane, North Hykeham, Lincs.,LN6 9QT 01522-687738 Newsletter Editor & Coaching Secretary Ray Minovi, 45 Augusta Road, Moseley, Birmingham B13 8AE Tel/fax: 0121-449-1347 email:raminminovi@cnews.freeserve.co.uk Registrar Alan Corbet, 41 Coles Lane, Sutton Coldfield B72 1NH 0121-240-7307 Stock Controller Chris Singleton, 23 Barnwood Road, Quinton, Birmingham B32 2LY 0121-427-1912 Event Co-ordinator Colin Willetts, 201 Mildenhall Road, Great Barr, Birmingham B42 2PE 0121-358-6768 Results Co-ordinator Tom McCall, 1 Norfolk Road, Thornton Heath, London CR7 8ND 0208-7680081 International Racing Secretary Mick Ives, 78 Mill Hill, Baginton, near CoventryCV8 3AG 02476-304009 Website: www.lvrc.org Webmaster: roy@roygardiner.com Plus one representative from each region Chairman’s View The re-run of the AGM endorsed all previous decisions, except, the controversial issue of funding International Racing. The approved increase in subscriptions, intended to maintain the current financial position, has already been eaten into by a large increase in insurance premiums, amounting to almost £1 per member. Keith Richards of Region 2 managed to get himself and the LVRC some inaccurate publicity in Cycling Weekly. Replies from our Editor and Derek Smith straightened him out and produced a second letter from Mr Richards in which he made the suggestion that we might increase our race entry fee of £1, to be used as a levy for the Dave Rayner fund. This, in my view, has great merit. How about support for it, by proposals for this years AGM.? I consider that in the light of BCF abandoning any support for potential Tom Simpsons, we can give real help to young riders who are prepared to hack it.Such a move will sit very easily with the ideals of Percy Stallard which was always for the promotion of racing en ligne. Following endorsement by the AGM/SGM, our move to incorporated status is now in the hands of Solicitors ASSOCIATION OF BRITISH CYCLING COACHES Want to be a Cycling Coach? The ABCC has for over 30 years provided coach education for all disciplines, and now offers you the opportunity to become a qualified coach. You can qualify in as little as 10 weeks, either by distance learning or through a fast-track course, followed by a period of practical experience supported by a senior coach – the ABCC has over 450 registered coaches. For its qualified coaches the ABCC provides full insurance cover, regular issues of Cycle Coaching News, and its annual coaches’ conference. For details of ABCC Courses contact: Jim Sampson, 19 Forbes Avenue, Beverley High Road, Hull HU6 7AJ Telephone: 01482-857774 E-mail: jim@sampson.karoo.co.uk Be smart – make sports massage an integral part of your training this winter Sports Massage Sports Massage can: Q Relax and stretch muscles Q Improve range of motion Q Restore suppleness and elasticity Q Relieve pain and stress Q Soften scar tissue Q Improve circulation Q Speed recovery and healing from exertion All this and more! to make an appointment call Bryan Ward (LSSM Dip.) on 0208-361-4543 e-mail: bryabi@hotmail.com Page 6 Veteran Leaguer: Winter 2002

One of the most talented roadmen Britain ever produced is now riding LVRC races just for fun, and still giving everyone a kicking. Life in the old West Jim Golden Those of you over 55s who have been given sore legs by Les West over the last few years have his son Paul and another former top rider Phil Griffiths to thank. When Paul, now 26, decided to give road racing a try four years ago, Les decided he ought to return to the bunch, just to keep an eye on his son. It was then that Griffiths, who has always regarded ‘Westy’ as one of his heroes, stepped in to provide bikes and clothing. ‘I’d been a Tunstall Wheeler all my life, but Griffo said “why don’t you race for me” and to be honest I thought if he was going to take a lot of the expense out of cycling, why not,’ said the twice Milk Race winner and all round cycling legend. At first Les, Potteries born and bred stuck to what were then BCF events making it up to second category on the limited training he is able to do as a full time worker – the morning after our interview he was going to be literally up the pole out in the Peaks wiring a telegraph pole for BT. The silver fox, now 58, rode his first LVRC race at Bridgnorth where he was fourth (the editor won). Les told me: ‘I really didn’t know what to expect. I was really impressed. I was going well, and you know I don’t often say that, but I could not get rid of the others, many of those in the race I didn’t know. ‘I thought I would just wait for the climbs. I did not press too hard and I’ll you why. They were making my legs hurt and then ripped them off in the sprint finish. ‘That first year I really enjoyed my racing. The funny thing is though, these days I worry that so many of the others can train when they like, I read about their training and think hang on a minute at the moment I am only getting out on Sundays. ‘Even in the season I don’t do what the others seem to do and that plays on my mind. Yet when I was younger it didn’t bother me. When I rode the Milk Race against the Russians, I was going out with the chain gang on Tuesday, rode the track league on Thursday and raced on Sunday. But you don’t think about those sort of things when you’re a young lad.’ Everyone who knows Westy has his own stories about the great man. For instance I can remember on chain gangs more than 20 years ago, out with him and other top Potteries riders, flagging on a hill after more than 30 miles of through an off – and suddenly flying to the front of the group courtesy of Les holding on to my saddle. When I took up marathon running Les decided to give it a try because his daughter Joanne was a good runner. Even as a runner, he used to come out with his immortal words ‘I anna fit you know’ and ‘I anna going well’ before effortlessly easing away. (The ed knows all about this as he and Les rode their first international together in the Tour of Holland ). In 1970 when he finished fourth in the Worlds at Leicester, while the continentals were preparing on a diet of hard races, Les was hunting for people to train with and it was a mutual friend Rhod Davies who accompanied him on his last big ride from the Potteries to Llangollen, over the Horseshoe to Chester and back a good 120 miles. When I reminded Les of this, he said: ‘Rhod was really going well that day – made my legs hurt.’ Rhod, I have to say, remembers it somewhat differently. So imagine his feelings when early in the Worlds he watched Les come round off the back. It turned out he’d got bored with the circuit and it was only when a continental train bringing a star back from a puncture, came by that he regrouped. What a man! So when he says he likes riding with the older vets, you have to take notice. He says: ‘Unlike so many of the youngsters the older vets never give up, I know from the way they have chased me down. They certainly go harder than in open 2/3 events where when a break goes, that’s it. Yet in our races it’s never say die.’ So will he be giving up some pain this year? The answer is yes. First of all he plans to ride the Peter Fryers he can drive to, where he will look after the interest of Team Afford-Rent-a-Car team-mate Ian Hallam. ‘I have no chance of doing anything in them, so I will help Ian out and having dropped down to 3 rd cat I shall ride some races to get back to 2 nd .’ He only dropped down after an accident at home left him with damaged ribs. Then it’s as many LVRC races as he can fit in, which will include going for a hat trick in the tough Woodbank Trophy. Les’s wife Pat seems to remember the details of every race he has ridden. For Les, his only real regret is that he ended his pro career at 35 and did not go into the 80s when he might have had a crack at an open Milk Race. ‘The trouble was we were riding on a diet of town centre crits. There were probably only about six races a year that were suitable for me. I liked the hard races but it was difficult to be up for those 100-mile events when you were normally racing for only about an hour.’ Winning the Vaux in 1966, the year of his second place in the World’s. Veteran Leaguer: Winter 2002 Page 7

Page 1 and 2: The Veteran Leaguer The official ne

Page 3 and 4: Calendar: new events, cancellations

Page 5: Special General Meeting It’s LVRC

Page 9 and 10: The Feeding Station Are you getting

Page 11 and 12: officials received racing jerseys a

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Page 17 and 18: Letters From Dave Orford The idea t

Page 19 and 20: In Part 1 Cavanna, Coppi’s blind

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Page 23 and 24: Regional Officers REGION 1. N.W. EN

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