Blow for Soudal Quick-Step: Laurenz Rex out for several weeks after crash in AlUla Tour

Bad news for Soudal Quick-Step: Laurenz Rex, one of the new key riders for the classic spring season, abandoned during the AlUla Tour. He now needs to take several weeks' rest.

During a high-speed descent in the third stage of the Saudi race, Rex crashed heavily. Soudal Quick-Step has now announced that the German-speaking Walloon broke three processus spinosi in his back. These are the bony projections at the rear of each vertebra.

"Laurenz is stable but needs to rest for several weeks before he can start his recovery," said the team. After further examinations, a new update will follow later this week. Whether his entire spring campaign is at risk remains unknown.

Rex was signed as a central figure in the renewed spring squad, which is built around Dylan van Baarle and Jasper Stuyven. He was expected to race nearly all the classics between Omloop Het Nieuwsblad and Paris-Roubaix.