Costa takes leave of absence from cycling

Dual junior world championship silver medalist Adrien Costa has called an end to his season, the Axeon Hagens Berman team announced today. The 19-year-old American is taking a leave of absence, citing fatigue.

The 2016 Tour of Utah runner-up has not raced since the death of teammate Chad Young in April.

Costa, a promising stage racer, opted to take the break to find balance in life.

"This was an incredibly tough decision for me to make, but for my personal development I think it's the best option," Costa said in a press release. "I want to take time to do other things that I've always been passionate about and finding a new balance between the sport I love and the rest of my life.

"I dream of achieving so much in cycling, but at my age it's important to remember that I have time on my side and that the worst thing I could do is rush myself and ultimately burn out before I'm ready."

Costa joined the Hagens Berman U23 team in 2014, and raced with the California Giant-Specialized team before joining Axeon in 2016. After winning a stage and coming third overall in the Tour de l'Avenir in 2016, he rode as a trainee with the Etixx-Quickstep team, but remained with Axeon for this season.

"I'll take the rest of the season to study and travel in Europe, and give myself the time and the space that I need to prepare myself for the future. There's so much I want to achieve, not just in cycling but in life in general, and I want to make sure that I make the right calls at this stage of my career.

"I feel like I'm lucky to be able to take this time, and that's thanks to the incredible people I have around me. I am so grateful for the support and understanding I've received from the team, and I look forward to returning to cycling as soon as I'm ready."