Les West

Les West
Personal information
Full name	Leslie West
Nickname	Grisby Welch
Born	11 November 1943 (age 80); Hanley, Stoke-on-Trent, England
Team information
Discipline	Road
Role	Rider
Amateur team
1959	Tunstall Wheelers
Professional team
1969-1978	Holdsworth
Major wins
	1960 - North Staffs 25-mile time-trial champion; 1961 - North Staffs 10, 25, 30 and 50 mile champion; 1961 - North Staffs track league champion; 1961 - North Staffs five-mile pursuit champion; 1961 - North Staffs 4,000m pursuit champion; 1963 - Isle of Man Time trial; 1964 - Isle of Man Mountain Time Trial; 1964 - Isle of Man International Road Race; 1964 - Isle of Man 50 Mile Time Trial; 1965 - Milk Race, Overall and points.; 1965 - Set British hour record; 1965 - set 25-mile time-trial record; 1965 - Tour of the Cotswolds; 1965 - British National Road Championship; 1966 - Isle of Man Mountain Time Trial; 1966 - Isle of Man International Road Race; 1967 - Milk Race; 1968 - Tour of the Isle of Wight; 1969 - 5 professional wins, 9 second places; 1970 - National Road Race Pro champion; 1970 - London-Brighton-London record; 1971 - London-Portsmouth-London record; 1972 -London-Bath-London record; 1975 - National Road Race Champion for professionals; 1976 - Tour of the Peaks; 2003 - National masters champion; 2006 - League of Veteran Racing Cyclists, Champion;

Les West (born 11 November 1943) was one of the dominant figures of amateur and professional cycling in Britain during the 1960 and 1970s. He won the Milk Race twice, came second in the world amateur road race championship and fourth in the world professional championship.^[2]

^ West was known among fellow professionals and particularly in the Holdsworth team as Grisby Welch. The name came from the result of a race in Belgium. West had come high enough to be named in the following day's papers but, as a foreigner, he was unknown to reporters and officials. They checked his race number against the signing-on sheet and deciphered "Leslie West" as "Grisby Welch."
^ Cycling Weekly, UK, 12 October 1992

[1] West was known among fellow professionals and particularly in the Holdsworth team as Grisby Welch. The name came from the result of a race in Belgium. West had come high enough to be named in the following day's papers but, as a foreigner, he was unknown to reporters and officials. They checked his race number against the signing-on sheet and deciphered "Leslie West" as "Grisby Welch."

[2] Cycling Weekly, UK, 12 October 1992

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