Sonny Colbrelli suffered an unstable cardiac arrhythmia at Volta a Catalunya

Doctors have confirmed that Sonny Colbrelli suffered an unstable cardiac arrhythmia that required defibrillators for immediate treatment following his collapse at the finish line of stage 1 at the Volta a Catalunya Monday. 

Bahrain Victorious confirmed in a medical update that doctors have not yet determined the cause of Colbrelli's arrhythmia and that he will undergo additional tests on Wednesday at the Hospital Universitari de Girona.

"Following the end of stage 1 of Volta a Catalunya, our medical team can confirm that Sonny Colbrelli suffered an unstable cardiac arrhythmia that required defibrillation," the team stated in a recent medical update.

"The cause is still to be determined, and the Italian rider will undergo further tests tomorrow at the Hospital Universitari de Girona."

Colbrelli finished second place on the uphill sprint stage 1 in Sant Feliu de Guíxols but collapsed just 100 metres after the finish line and required urgent medical attention. He was treated on-site before being taken to hospital in an ambulance 45 minutes after the finish of the stage. 

The team confirmed that Colbrelli was in stable condition when he was transported by ambulance to the Hospital Universitari de Girona for additional treatment and thanked medical staff on-site for their help. 

"The team would like to thank Borja Saenz de Cos – Emergency Nurse at Sistema d'Emergencies Mediques (Catalan Emergency Service) – for his prompt assistance at the finish yesterday and for supporting our medical staff in the management of the incident," the team said.

Colbrelli is currently recovering in hospital, and the team have stated that he is showing no sign of compromised heart function. Although the first round of tests have returned positive news, doctors aim to determine the cause of his cardiac arrhythmia in a series of follow-up tests on Wednesday.

"Sonny Colbrelli's clinical situation is good, and we wish him a prompt recovery."

With Colbrelli and Jack Haig out of the race, Bahrain Victorious remain at the Volta a Catalunya with Wout Poels, Dylan Teuns, Phil Bauhaus, Santiago Buitrago and Hermann Pernsteiner. 

Cyclingnews spoke with Poels at the start of stage 2 in L'Escala, who wished his teammate Colbrelli a full recovery.

"It was a weird day yesterday, especially after the finish of the course," Poels said. "Let's hope everything goes well in the recovery for [Sonny Colbrelli]. The team has said in the press release everything we know."