Kessler critical after crash

German cyclist Matthias Kessler is in a critical condition after suffering severe head injuries in a training crash.

Former Tour de France stage winner in induced coma

Former T-Mobile and Astana rider Matthias Kessler has been hospitalised in a critical condition following a crash in Mallorca. The German was on a training ride with compatriot Andreas Kloden when he came off his bike. Kessler sustained severe head injuries in the accident and is now in an induced coma following surgery on Friday. It had been thought that the 30-year-old's condition was upgraded to serious but the latest reports indicate that the Tour de France stage winner is still critical. Kessler is currently without a top-level ride after returning from a two-year doping suspension in the summer of 2009. The classic specialist's greatest achievement came in the 2006 Tour de France when he broke away over the steep Cauberg hill to win stage three of the race.