The 26-year-old finished sixth at the second cobbled one-day race of the season.
Laurenz Rex took a morale-boosting result on the second day of the Opening Weekend, just one month from the AlUla Tour crash that threatened to derail his Spring Classics campaign. In January, the Belgian sustained three broken processus spinosus in his back, an injury that required several weeks of rest, putting his presence in the first cobblestone races of the season in doubt.
However, Rex made a remarkable recovery and could line up on Sunday for the 78th edition of Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurne, concluding the race as Soudal Quick-Step’s highest-ranked rider – a result that confirmed not just his appetite for the cobbled Classics, but also his determination and mentality.
Our team came into the race with Paul Magnier as leader, but was forced to change the plan in the last 80 kilometers, after an untimely puncture took the Frenchman out of contention. Dylan van Baarle tried to get away several times, and one of these moves looked promising when a couple of riders joined him, but the peloton came back and made sure the day would conclude in a bunch sprint.
Deployed in an excellent position by his Soudal Quick-Step teammates, close to the front of the group just before the crucial last corner, Rex took sixth place behind Matthew Brennan (Visma-Lease a Bike) for his fifth top ten result on a cobbled Classic.
“There was a question mark before the start, because I had no idea how my body would react on the course in my first race back since that injury, but after the first 50 kilometers, which were pretty nervous, I turned the switch on and was prominent at the front of the peloton. I was looking forward to teaming up with Dylan here and I’m content with how we got along on the road today. Then, in the sprint, I was put in a good position by Dries Van Gestel and despite launching a bit too early, I can be satisfied with my result. It’s a promising start to the Classics season”, Laurenz explained after the race.
Photo credit: ©Wout Beel
