Tributes paid to rising cyclo-cross star Charlie Craig, who has died at age 15

Tributes have been paid to up-and-coming cyclo-cross rider Charlie Craig, who died at the weekend.

Aged just 15, he passed away in his sleep on Friday night. The news was broken in a Facebook post by his father Nick Craig, a multiple national champion in cyclo-cross and mountain biking.

He wrote: “Yesterday, our world fell apart. Our beautiful lovely little boy Charlie went to sleep but never woke up.”

The winner of the 2016 National Trophy Cyclocross Series at under-2016 level, Charlie finished second in the same category at the national championships earlier this month on the same day his father retained his veteran 40-49 age group title.

His talent had been identified by British Cycling and he was an apprentice-level rider on the Great Britain Cycling Team’s Rider Route.

British Cycling programmes director, Andy Harrison, said: “Charlie was a promising young rider who had his whole life ahead of him. Everyone involved with the team is devastated by this news and, naturally, all of our thoughts are with Charlie’s family.”

Multiple Paralympic cycling champion Dame Sarah Storey was paid tribute to the youngster on Twitter.

Devastated to hear the news about Charlie Craig, what a tragic loss thoughts and love to @nick1craig & family at this time #RIPCharlie

— Dame Sarah Storey (@DameSarahStorey) January 22, 2017

We at road.cc send our condolences to Charlie’s family.