21-year-old cyclist Chad Young died on Friday evening, almost a week after crashing heavily during the Tour of the Gila.
“I am very sorry to let everyone know that Chad Young did not survive his crash last Sunday,” stated Axeon Hagens Berman’s general manager Axel Merckx. “He passed away Friday evening, surrounded by his family.
“We lost a friend, a teammate and a family member. I have no words that can express my pain over this loss. I can only say that I am very thankful to have known him and that I feel privileged to have been able to share in his passion for cycling.”
“It’s a heartbreaking situation,” said Tour of the Gila race director Jack Brennan.
“The Axeon Hagens Berman team and its team director, Axel Merckx, have always recruited and mentored these incredible young men to help them mature in the sport of cycling, and Chad was certainly in that mold. As a father and grandfather myself, I want to express my sincere condolences to Chad’s family and friends.”
Young crashed on a descent on the final stage of the Tour of the Gila in New Mexico on Sunday. He was helicoptered urgently to hospital in Tucson, Arizona, for treatment.
