‘Sonny Colbrelli took a risk and ended career’

Saturday, October 29, 2022 at 09:06

Sonny Colbrelli will soon announce his retirement as a cyclist, Italian sports newspaper La Gazzetta dello Sport said today. The 32-year-old Italian collapsed in March just after the completion of the opening stages of the Tour of Catalonia: Colbrelli appeared to be suffering from a heart rhythm disorder.

The rescue team, with the help of chest compressions and a defibrillator, was able to bring Colbrelli back to consciousness. The Italian was then taken to a hospital in Girona where several tests were carried out to determine the cause of his heart rhythm disturbance. European champion Trento finally underwent a successful procedure in his native Italy where a subcutaneous defibrillator was implanted.

Colbrelli himself still has high hopes of a return to the peloton, but in his home country is prohibited from practicing top sports with a defibrillator. Colbrelli’s story is reminiscent of Christian Eriksen’s story. The Danish footballer suffered a heart attack at the last European Championship and had to leave his Italian club Internazionale after a defibrillator was implanted under the skin.

Eriksen thus returned to Great Britain, signed for Premier League Club Brentford and now plays for football superpowers Manchester United. Colbrelli has been in contact with Eriksen in recent months, according to La Gazzetta dello Sport, but – unlike the Dane – will not return to his sport. In cycling you are racing under your state’s license, in the case of the Italian Colbrelli.

Colbrelli is still investigating the possibility of racing under the Swiss flag in the future, as he lives in Switzerland, but the UCI is said to have banned it. The powerful sprinter-cum-classic racer also doesn’t want to take unnecessary risks for his family and he’s about to announce his breakup soon. On November 15th, the farewell press conference will be held by his team Bahrain win.