Gent-Wevelgem was a mixed back for Team Garmin-Slipstream, with Julian Dean injured in a bad crash. But thanks to the team’s crack medical staff his injury ended up looking worse than it actually was. Dr. Prentice Steffen escorted Dean all the way into surgery — and even got to scrub-in as first assistant! Julian reports that all looks good for a quick healing process:
As most of you know I have now joined the ever growing Team Garmin-Slipstream injury list. I have to say that I certainly got a fright yesterday when I went to get back on my bike after what seemed like a pretty minor crash 20km into the race.
I couple of riders skidded out on the wet road as we went through a roundabout. I became part of the mess going down also. Although I thought I was fine, when I went to get up it looked like I had been struck by an axe through the quadricep just above the left knee!
After almost passing out at the sight I immediately lay back down and waited for help. I could not look at it again.
After being transferred to the hospital I had one of my better emergency hospital experiences. And believe me I have had a few! After the emergency doctor checked it out they sent me to the operating theatre where they promptly knocked me out, cleaned out the wound and stitched it up on three different layers.
I was out and awake in time to watch the finish of the race and I made it back to the hotel before the boys were back from the race!
As far a rehab goes it’s a ‘see-how-she-goes-day-by-day’ situation. The injury is a bit unusual by all accounts so it seems to be difficult to know exactly when I’ll be back on the bike. It looks like a minimum of one week maximum two. Anyhow I can walk and get around ok for now. Just a little slow that’s all.
I am bummed that I am not going to be there for Martijn on Sunday but you can bet I will be watching him go to work on the telly. I really believe that if he has the luck (which you need a lot of in Roubaix) he will do something special!
-JD
