Sourdal-Quickstep is a dominant force in the spring classics, but after three races, the Belgian team is off to a tough start to its 2023 cobbled campaign.

With rival Jumbo Visma dominating the top positions, following an opening weekend that was marred by illness and a crash at Le Samyn on Tuesday, Stan Van Trijdt finished 51st.

A seven-man team, including European champion Fabio Jacobsen and former Tour of Flanders winner Caspar Asgreen, will head into the 209-km cobbled race.

However, during the race from Quaregnon to Dour, Jacobsen was involved in a crash early in the race and again with teammate Martin Svrček with 50 km to go.

Meanwhile, Asgreen's wheels touched in the lead group and he hit the ground hard with 1 km to go.

Milan Menten (new to Quick-Step's old rival, Belgium's Lotto Doustony) won the sprint from a 20-man group in Le Samyn. Meanwhile, four riders retired, including Asgreen and Jacobsen.

Both men escaped with broken bones, but instead had to spend several uncomfortable days with bandages on their wounds and abrasions.

"After this incident, [Asgreen] was left with a lot of skin abrasions, but nothing that will have a significant impact on the next few weeks," announced Soudal Quickstep after the race.

"Jacobsen has a contusion of the scapula, ligaments in his shoulder, and multiple injuries that need to be treated and will require several days to recover.

The team missed the Omloop Het Newsblad and Kuhne Brussel Kuhne last week due to Asgreen not feeling well, while Tim Declercq, Florian Senechal, and Yves Lemper were involved in crashes over the weekend.

Team boss Patrick Lefebvre watched the opening weekend after returning from the Tour de Rwanda, where Jumbo Visma won both races. They were dominant and we showed it," he said.

"However, we should not panic now. The season has only just begun and with Lemko's overall victory in the UAE Tour, we have already won our 12th race. I don't feel angry. The season is still long.

The next one-day race in Soudal-Quick Step takes place over the weekend, with Julian Alaphilippe and Mauri Vansevenan leading the team in Strade Bianche on Saturday.

On the same day, Ethan Vernon and Joseph Cherny will take on the GP Cliquierion in Walloon. The team will split its time between Paris-Nice and Tirreno-Adriatico, while Lemko Evenepoel will take a rest after his UAE Tour victory and return to racing at the Volta Ciclista a Catalunya, which starts on the 20th.