Chad Young, in front, dies of crash-related injuries. Photo Courtesy of Mitchell Clinton Photography

April 29, 2017 (Silver City, NM) - The Tour of the Gila has been informed that 21-year-old, Axeon Hagens Berman rider, Chad Young, succumbed to his injuries sustained in a crash during Sunday's Gila Monster stage while descending to the Cliff Dwellings.

The Tour of the Gila community is devastated by the news of Young's passing. On behalf of the entire Tour of the Gila staff and the Silver City, New Mexico community, we want to express our deepest condolences to Chad's family, friends, and his teammates during this painful time of sorrow and mourning.

GÇ£It's a heartbreaking situation,GÇ¥ Jack Brennan said, Race Director for Tour of the Gila. GÇ£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.GÇ¥

The Tour of the Gila takes place in and around Silver City, New Mexico and consists of road race stages, an individual time trial, and a criterium. Stage 1 for the 5-day race, is a point-to-point road race en route to the ghost town of Mogollon. The criterium is held in downtown Silver City with high speeds, 90-degree turns, and a brutal climb to weed out the weak. The iconic GÇ£Gila MonsterGÇ¥ road race's final climbing stage ends with a climb up to the tiny enclave of Pinos Altos, nestled in the Gila National Forest. www.tourofthegila.com