Yves Lampaert won't get a chance to prove he's a rising classics star yet, as an injury he suffered in while racing in Portugal ruled him out of the opening weekend.

The 24-year old Etixx-QuickStep rider was initially expected to ride the Omloop Het Nieuwsblad and Kuurne-Bruxelles-Kuurne this weekend, but now a date of his return is uncertain. Lampaert crashed during the opening stage of Volta ao Algarve, but abandoned the race on the last day and a closer examination revealed a broken sternum.

"My crash in the Tour of Algarve has caused me more harm than I suspected. I have a break in my sternum, all the way up to my neck," wrote Lampaert on his Instagram page.

"With great pain in my heart I will miss the opening weekend. I don't yet know where I will resume but I hope to be back there at Dwars door Vlaanderen. Until then I'll keep an eye on everything through the television."