Sonny Colbrelli is expected to announce his retirement on November 15 after accepting he can no longer race as a professional after his life threatening cardiac arrhythmia at the Volta Catalunya in March.
According to La Gazzetta dello Sport and Cyclingnews sources, Colbrelli admitted to friends and former colleagues at the recent end of season races in the Veneto that he has reached a decision on his future.
He has been able to ride a bike and train gently in recent months but has accepted it is unwise to try to compete again at the highest level. Colbrelli's Bahrain Victorious did not immediately respond when contacted by Cyclingnews but according to La Gazzetta dello Sport, Colbrelli will announce his decision on November 15 at a press conference.
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Colbrelli turned 32 in May and was arguably at the peak of his career after winning Paris-Roubaix and the European road race title in 2021. However he collapsed moments after finishing second in the uphill sprint on the opening stage of the Volta a Catalunya on March 21, with only the presence of a nurse and a heart defibrillator saving his life.
His Bahrain Victorious team confirmed that Colbrelli had suffered an unstable cardiac arrhythmia and he was fitted with a subcutaneous defibrillator on his return to Italy.
That kept his heart beat under control and has allowed him to ride his bike but Italian law does not allow athletes to compete with the subcutaneous defibrillator. Other athletes in different sports have returned to competition with a subcutaneous defibrillator, including Danish footballer Christian Eriksen but he was not allowed to play for an Italian club and moved to Britain.
According to La Gazzetta dello Sport, Colbrelli does not want to change nationality and residency or push against UCI rules so he can compete again, preferring to put his health and family first.
Colbrelli has admitted he knows he is lucky to be alive.
“Lots of people ask me how I am and I reply: I’m happy, I’m with my family,” he told La Gazzetta dello Sport in an exclusive interview in April.
“There’s not much else to say, I feel lucky, very lucky. And I’m not just saying that.
“We all know that life is temporary. We never think about it, especially when our lives are full and busy, like the lifestyle of a pro cyclist. Indeed, when I woke up in hospital, I struggled to realise what had happened, it was initially difficult to believe and accept.
“At first I was angry and asked: ‘Why me?’ and 'What did I do to deserve this?’ but they’re questions that are impossible to answer.”
"To tell the truth, when I wake up in the morning I just try to smile. I realise we're only here for a certain amount of time and I only have one chance. I'm lucky to be here."
