Promising young pro cyclist 'not expected to survive' head injuries from race

Team Axeon Hagens Berman has released a statement saying that 21-year-old pro cyclist Chad Young is not expected to recover from head injuries he sustained during last weekend’s Tour of the Gila road race in New Mexico.

The US rider was descending last Sunday when he was involved in a multi-rider crash, and suffered facial and head injuries.

He was  airlifted to a hospital in Tucson, Arizona.

Over the last week, his health has deteriorated and the team released the following statement:

There have been conflicting news reports concerning the condition of Axeon Hagens Berman Cycling Team rider Chad Young, who crashed Sunday in the Tour of the Gila. Unfortunately, Chad is not expected to recover from his injuries … At this time, his family asks for privacy. We at Axeon Hagens Berman respect the family’s wishes and want them to know that they are in our thoughts and prayers during this devastating and difficult time.

“We’ve had bad accidents in the past but never nothing like this before,” Rebecca Reza, a spokesperson for Tour of the Gila, told the Sun-News. “Chad got the best medical care within the circumstances. His injuries were pretty severe. They life-flighted him out so fast. It was incredible how fast everything happened.

 

Chad Young: A friend, a teammate, and an inspiration. A talent, a genius, but humble. An unforgettable smile, laugh, and personality. All the times we spent in the back of the team van laughing so hard we cried after pranking toby or joking with the guys. Teaching me so much about riding bikes, hard work, and how to be an exemplary person. The many many hours spent facetiming once we both left New England for school. While I truly have no words for this loss, I could write volumes and volumes about Chad. Love you forever Buddy #BeLikeChad

A post shared by Nate Morse (@nate.morse) on Apr 28, 2017 at 7:31am PDT