---

The Early Years

Born in Carshalton Surrey 1955, DLG or Legro as he is better known, started his racing career at the age of 12. Dave started off by joining the same club as his father Peter, (Charlotteville CC) and competed in his club 10's and 25 mile time trials. His compassion for speed and riding in bunches left him a bit frustrated with time trialing and riding on his own. His father Peter bought him a track bike and introduced Dave to Track racing. His first race was at Reading (Palmer Park) and quickly progressed to being a top club rider. At the age of 15, Dave and his family emigrated to New Zealand. Within 2 years he became the New Zealand Junior Sprint Champion and was selected to ride for NZ for the 1974 Commonwealth Games in Christchurch NZ.. Dave turned down the chance of representing his new Country because he was told he could ride on the proviso that he became a New Zealand citizen.

Racing Part 1

Dave had returned to England to race in 1974, with ambitions to represent his country of origin.

Leaving his family behind in New Zealand, after only 3 months back in the UK he won a Bronze medal in the Senior British National Sprint Championship 10 days from his 18th birthday. A first of many National Championship medals to come.

Legro took a liking to tandem sprinting, wining National Championships and Silver medalist in the 1978 Commonwealth Games riding with Trevor Gadd.

He was selected for both the 1976 Olympic Games and 1978 Commonwealth Games, but it was not all good news, Legro crashed badly in the Commonwealth Games and ended up with a broken back and an end to a promising career.

In all, Dave represented Great Britain in 6 World Championships, 20 European GP's and many other International duties

In total, Dave had won 40 National Championship medals and 20 of them were "Gold". During this 40 odd year career, Dave was a contender in road racing as well, Ian Hallam, John Herety, Alf Engers and Phil Griffiths to name but a few, were some of Dave's scalps (big names in those days). including wins in the Perfs pedal and Wally Gimber, two South of England early season road racing Classics.

Realising that his career as a World Class sprinter had been badly effected by the tandem crash, Legro decided to turn Professional which lasted for 6 years, his sponsors were, Geoffrey Butler Cycles, Halfords and then he eventually teamed up with the top Professional team at that time, Percy Bilton.

Riding in the Pro ranks, Legro raced in the Kellogs televised TV City Centre races all over the Country and won 5 Professional National titles in all and even rode another World Championship, this time at Leicester in the Professional Sprint.

Dave was then starting to think about chasing a World record that had been bugging him for some time...

Record Breaking and Marathons

Dave was feeling a little despondent because of an old injury was holding back his sprinting ambitions at World level. Dave broke his spine back in the 1978 Commonwealth Games, and was still suffering from the effects and damaged sustained during a high speed tandem crash. It was here that Dave decided to either quit, or go for a burning desire to go fast, something that Dave has always dreamed of since his childhood. Dave got involved and personally set up a World record attempt for the out -right cycling speed records, on land and on rollers. In 1987, Dave broke the British and Commonwealth Land Speed Record on the M42 motorway with a speed of 110 mph and also in the same year, broke the World record for speed on the rollers at 126 mph live on BBC's Record Breakers Show. This was Dave's final year (for the time being!) and went out winning both the National Professional Sprint and Kierin Titles. He started jogging to keep fit and decided to enter a Marathon for a laugh. Dave recorded 2 hours 58 minutes for the 26 mile run beating some respectable and amazed club runners. Dave competed in 5 Marathons in all, his best effort; 2 hours 38 minutes was in 1991 London Marathon, finishing the in top 200 out of 35.000 competitors. After that Dave decided to compete in Duathlons (run/bike/run) and progressed to 4th in the Vets National Championship and winner of the Eastern region Duathlon Championships.

During the later part of this period, Dave had worked his way up from Club coach, to the Eastern Centre of Excellence Track Director, to ABCC Senior Coach and eventually National Sprint Coach

Racing part 2

1997 saw the return of now veteran Dave Le Grys, again back on the track winning the World Masters Sprint Championship (40-44 years) at Manchester. In 1999 Dave set out to win 3 Masters World Titles but only won 2 Golds, suffering the indignation of pulling a wheel over in the Semi-Finals of the Sprint event and was not allowed a re-start. The 2 wins were the 750 metre Time Trial and Olympic Sprint, but in 2001, he promised his dieing father he would win those 3 World Masters Titles, and he did, it was a big call, but it goes to show you, when you are determined, you can do it. Since then Dave has won a massive 25 World Masters Gold medals in all, including holding World Records for 750m and 500m. You can't get much better than that, tester, roadie, trackie, marathon runner, Duathlons, National Coach, and organising training camps in Majorca, well you can ! Dave has also represented his country as Coach/Official in the 1992 Barcelona Olympic Games, and representing his country as National Coach in World Championships and World Cup events, and was Rider/Coach/Manager for the famous "Brite" racing team who in that year (1998) won a collective 22 National Titles, and 11 of them with National records. Dave has worked with Rob Hayles and Brad Wiggins, both now have been or are World Champions. Also he has worked with promising youngster Ross Edgar who won Silver and Bronze medals at 2007 Worlds in Majorca and Silver in Beijing Olympics.

Coaching

• BC L2 Coach
• ABCC Level 4 Senior Coach
• NLP Practitioner
• NABBA Gym Instructor

Dave's success as both a competitor and as a coach stems from his wealth of experience and his strong inter-personal skills. Having been there, suffered, groveled and succeeded he can communicate with riders and other athletes on a level that develops understanding and trust. Dave is thus not only a top level coach but a true mentor who knows exactly how to get the best out of his athletes.

In addition to coaching cyclists, Dave has also worked with wheelchair athletes, two of which won Gold and Silver in the 1992 Paralympic Games in Barcelona. (Dave Holding 100 and 200m sprint and Ivan Newman 26 mile marathon distance) under Dave's coaching and guidance.

Dave now works full-time as Director for Legro's Cycling LTD and specialises in first class personal coaching to riders from beginner or returning veteran, through to World Class Performers. of all the coaches working in the UK today Dave Le Grys can claim success in more world and national champions, world and national records and personal bests than probably any one else outside the WCPP.

Dave's depth of coaching experience, provides an unrivalled match of expertise, communication and understanding. Dave's coaching efforts were recognised in 2000, when he won the prestigious Coachwise, Coach of the Year award.

Dave is now an NLP (Neuro Linguistic Programmer) Practitioner, which basically means he can help out with any psychological problems that might be holding you back from success.