Catalunya doctor stresses that "it's too early to make any predictions" on Colbrelli's cycling career
Cycling
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."
Rúben SilvaEditor-in-Chief
A founding contributor to CyclingUpToDate since its launch in January 2022, Ruben Silva has played a central role in shaping the site’s editorial direction and long-term growth. Before joining the project, he built his experience through independent blogging at Echelons Hub and by producing race previews for Ciclismo Internacional, developing a strong analytical voice rooted in daily engagement with professional cycling.
Beyond editorial work, he has been closely involved in the expansion and coordination of CyclingUpToDate’s wider network, helping establish and support sister platforms across multiple languages. This includes ongoing collaboration with CiclismoAlDia (Spanish), CiclismoAtual (Portuguese), WielrennenUpToDate (Dutch), and RadsportAktuell (German), contributing to a shared editorial vision and consistent international coverage.
He also helps oversee editorial governance across the network, setting standards for accuracy and consistency and coordinating updates or corrections when needed.
Originally from the Porto metropolitan area in Portugal, he holds a bachelor’s degree in Geography. His path into cycling journalism was shaped not through formal media training, but through independent reporting, community engagement, and sustained on-the-ground involvement in the sport.
Over the course of his career, he has conducted approximately 100 interviews across road cycling and cyclocross, ranging from one-to-one conversations and online formats to press conferences and on-site pre- and post-race coverage. His interviews include leading riders, team managers, and prominent figures within cycling media: Tadej Pogacar, Jonas Vingegaard, Mathieu van der Poel, Primoz Roglic, Wout van Aert, Joao Almeida and Tom Pidcock; managers like Patrick Lefevere and Joxean Matxin; and YouTube personality Bryan Kennedy (BKXC)...
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🏥 MEDICAL UPDATE Following the end of Stage 1 of @VoltaCatalunya, our medical team can confirm that @sonnycolbrelli suffered from an unstable cardiac arrhythmia that required defibrillation. 🔗 bit.ly/3isBgz9
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