Catalunya doctor stresses that "it's too early to make any predictions" on Colbrelli's cycling career

After the opening stage of the Volta a Catalunya, where he finished second, Sonny Colbrelli suffered cardiac arrest and was in the lucky situation where immediate medical care may have saved his life.

Volta a Catalunya race doctor Alex Flor Costa has told in an interview with El Periodico that "if he had suffered a heart attack during training, without a doctor and especially without a defibrillator nearby, Colbrelli could have died."

The Italian reports not having memory of the incident, having woken up in the Girona university hospital where he is still hospitalized, albeit in a stable situation. He's mentioned in another interview that he is already thinking about when he will return to the peloton, however Costa stresses that the recovery period may be long, even if Colbrelli is cleared to return to competition.

"Every patient is different but we've got to accept that his heart called out to stop and we've got to listen to the signals. I know it can be difficult for an athlete to go from racing to a hospital bed but it's important to understand the reality of what happened and accept it," he added.

He concluded with a cautious warning of the follow-up situation when Colbrelli leaves the hospital, which should be later this week: "We have to protect people's health by informing them of every aspect. It will then be up to the person involved, their family and team on what they do next. Some athletes have been able to continue, others have stopped. It's too early to make any predictions."