Cycling: Crash ends Dean's season

The season is over for New Zealand cyclist Julian Dean after he crashed during the Tour of Poland yesterday.

He has broken bones and ligament injuries in his right hand, and numerous bruises, his wife Carole said today.

"He's here in hospital right now waiting for an operation," she told NZPA.

"It was quite a bad crash. His helmet was broken so you can imagine the impact -- the damage that would have done. In that way he's a bit lucky."

She said Dean had at least two broken bones in his hand and both would required pins to hold them in place.

"He's going in (into the operation theatre) shortly to have pins inserted.

Deans, 31 and of the French Credit Agricole team, was one of the worst off after a group crash during the sprint finish to the longest stage of the race covering 225.5km from Gdansk to Torun.

"The season's over for him. It's a real pity because he's just been coming to his best form," Carole Dean said.

After the Tour of France, Dean's team had a series of events lined up before the Waihi-born pro was to return home and compete in the Tour of Southland.

He had some leading top-10 stage placings in the Tour of Benelux, including second in the third stage, and was to compete in the world championships in Salzburg, the Franco to Bildge tour and the Paris Tour over the next month

"It's just like the season has come crashing down on him," Carole Dean said.

It is the second time in recent years that Dean has crashed and broken bones as a result.

Last year, he fell and fractured his right elbow during the Giro de Italia (Tour of Italy) and was out of action for about three months.

His major target was the Tour of France this year after he missed two of those tours in the previous year due to injuries.

His team didn't allow him to compete in the Commonwealth Games in Melbourne but he was working towards the Beijing Olympics in 2008.

- NZPA