Obituary: Chas Messenger
Posted: 28 July 2008
Chas William Messenger passed away on 26 July at the age of 94 in hospital after a period of failing health. He was still the senior vice patron of British Cycling, president of BC Central Region, and secretary of the Chequers RC.
His contribution to cycle sport was vast and covered every level. Most spectacular was perhaps the seven years he organised the Tour of Britain under the Milk Marketing Board to be known as the Milk Race, with challenging stages taking in previously unknown climbs and ensuring that winners had truly earned their victory.
As a stalwart of the breakaway British League of Racing Cyclists, Chas, together with Peter Itter, the chairman of the racing committee of the establishment National Cycling Union, forged the links for the formation of today's British Cycling Federation, including negotiations with the police constabularies for the holding of open road racing, which continues to this day.
In the 1960's he was nominated as National Road Manager, including the Tokyo Olympics, and his devotion was always to the riders and not pompous officialdom. In fact his propensity for direct action and getting things done rather than long-winded committee debate made him a controversial figure to some then amateur attitudes. His perseverance paid dividends and first Les West took a silver medal on the road at the Nurburgring in 1966 and the following year Beryl Burton won the women's world road championship in the morning and Graham Webb won the amateur world road championship in the afternoon, a situation as yet unequalled.
The thanks to Chas were to lose the post and be left in the cold for the next 13 years as far as national office was concerned, although still chairman of the West London Division, registrar and organising many races - later becoming chairman of the Paddington Track League.
In 1982 he returned to the international scene as organiser of the 1982 world road championships at Goodwood, which even gained the plaudits of the UCI for the detail.
Very much a Londoner, Chas started cycling as a youngster in the Kings Cross area and, in his words, was a mediocre racer, but still getting under the hour as a 25-mile time triallist, then quite an achievement. He toured in many countries and had spent six months working in Switzerland after the war before returning to a variety of roles, much of the time in the cycle trade.
His most important provision for today's cycling is the existence of the Hillingdon cycle circuit for which he fought long and hard for its construction. Without him it would not exist. It is as simple as that.
Besides the various formal awards and recognitions from organisations such as the UCI and British Cycling, seven years ago the Central Region started the Chas Messenger stage race in recognition of his massive contribution to the sport and he has always attended to help the judging and present the prizes, with it achieving Premier Calendar status this year.
Chas Messenger was very proud of that event, for it was for the riders and that was what his life was all about.
Funeral for Chas Messenger - The funeral of Chas Messenger is at 12.45pm on Wednesday, 6 August, at the South West Middlesex Crematorium, Hounslow Road, Hanworth, Feltham, Middlesex TW13 5JH, followed by an informal celebration of his life at the nearby Hanworth Navy Club, Park Road, TW13 6PP. Family flowers only, with donations welcome to the Dave Rayner Fund www.daveraynerfund.com
