"I have regularly wiped away a tear in recent weeks and months" - Sonny Colbrelli settles into life away from racing
Cycling
Sonny Colbrelli has recently announced his retirement from pro cycling. Although he will stay connected to the sport and his former Bahrain - Victorious team, 2023 will be a much different year where he will no longer be racing on the bike.
“I have regularly wiped away a tear in recent weeks and months," Colbrelli told Het Nieuwsblad. "Last month I went on a team camp with Bahrain. When the other boys put on their new outfits, ride in the new bikes, discuss the competition programs, I have to get into the support car in normal clothes, then tears come to your eyes.”
After a roller-coaster year of 2022, 2023 marks the start of a new phase in the Italian's life. Forced away from competition he reveals there have been very hard moments, as he further explains.
“I miss the fatigue in my legs, I miss sharing the room with my regular companions Damiano Caruso and Matej Mohoric, I miss the adrenaline of the race. Not everyone can tell their story after a cardiac arrest. I have to be satisfied and not selfish because I can't race anymore," the Italian added.
He's detailed his incident at the Volta a Catalunya in the interview, further detailing the ending event of his pro racing career: “It went black before my eyes. I only woke up in the hospital. They told me I had a cardiac arrest. At first I didn't believe them. I got lucky twice. At first because there was a young guy in the audience who volunteered at the ambulance and immediately understood the seriousness of the situation."
"He climbed over the crush barriers to give me a heart massage and to set my heart moving again after a few minutes with a defibrillator. The fact that the defibrillator was there was second to my luck," he concluded. The Italian is taking on a management and guiding role within the team's development ranks in the coming years.
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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.
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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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