When Chad Haga called his dad, Chris, in October 2010, he hesitated to speak his mind.
Haga had spent four and a half years working toward a mechanical engineering degree at Texas A&M and earned a job offer after graduating that winter. But Haga also had a passion for cycling, and the few opportunities to join elite teams post-grad weighed on him when he reached out to his dad.
His father had recently been diagnosed with Stage IV lung cancer, so when the idea of Haga pursuing professional cycling finally came up, Haga received his dad's best wishes to follow his dreams while able.