Laurenz Rex and his latest injury headlines a brutal wave of crashes sweeping the classics: ‘Everything can change in an instant.’
Laurenz Rex and Ben Turner both crashed heavily Sunday. (Photo: Getty Images)
Updated March 31, 2026 04:54AM
Laurenz Rex and his nightmare spring is over after dislocating his right knee at Sunday’s In Flanders Fields.
The brutal injury comes just weeks after he survived a terrifying 100kph crash at the AlUla Tour that left him with multiple fractures in his back.
The Belgian brawler will undergo surgery Tuesday morning, meaning that he’s out of the Tour of Flanders and Paris-Roubaix.
“My classics season came to an abrupt end after a heavy crash,” Rex said. “Strangely, I don’t feel sadness or disappointment. Bad luck is part of this sport.
“Moments like these remind me how unforgiving it can be — and how important it is to truly cherish every moment, because everything can change in an instant. One thing is certain: I will come back stronger.”
Rex, 26, crashed heavily into a roadside ditch Sunday, and examinations at the University Hospital in Leuven confirmed ligament and bone damage, team officials confirmed Monday.
Just weeks ago, Rex fought his way back from one of the most violent crashes of the season in Saudi Arabia in February.
Davide Stella (UAE Emirates-XRG), who suffered brutal cuts to his back, hips and buttocks, has yet to return, while Fabien Grellier (TotalEnergies) only resumed racing this past week in France after severe injuries, including a torn anus.
Lex’s rapid return — with sixth at Kuurne-Brussel-Kuurne just four weeks later — along with second at Samyn classic and eighth at Ronde Van Brugge revealed he was back on track just in time for Holy Week.
‘Like Mike Tyson punched me’
His latest injury is an unwelcome setback for Soudal Quick-Step ahead of the two most important races of the spring campaign for the “Wolfpack.”
Along with Jasper Stuyven and Dylan Van Baarle, Rex — with two top-10 finishes at Paris-Roubaix — was a key signing in the post-Remco Evenepoel pivot back toward the team’s classics roots.
Crashes are inevitably part of just about every race across the spring classics, and Sunday’s In Flanders Fields had its fair share.
Visma-Lease a Bike also lost Timo Kielich for the classics after a collarbone fracture, while Ben Turner of Ineos Grenadiers escaped serious injury in a spectacular fall.
“Not my luck in the last races, mechanical on Tiaanberg in E3 and getting my bars tangled with another rider in Wevelgem. Fortunately, I practiced front flips on my bed as a child,” Turner said.
“Considering the crash, I’m happy to come out of it how I did with nothing broken, just feel like Mike Tyson punched me in the back. Let’s see what’s possible for the following races in the next days.”
There were also multiple incidents during the women’s In Flanders Fields race.
The wave of spring injuries comes as cycling’s stakeholders continue to grapple with rider safety and work to improve racing conditions to stave off high-impact crashes.