"I understand the pain" - Sonny Colbrelli's emotional message to Nathan van Hooydonck following retirement

Sonny Colbrelli had to end his career after having been given an internal defibrillator after his collapse at the Volta a Catalunya. Nathan van Hooydonck has now hung up his wheels for the same reason, and the Italian shared a message of understanding on the situation.

"I understand what's going through your head. I understand what you're feeling. I understand the pain. I understand your only question why me?" Colbrelli said in a Facebook post. "I know how it feels in that hospital bed while they tell you that your career will be 90% over, but in your head you don't want to believe it."

Van Hooydonck's incident wasn't however race related, and was also unknown. The Belgian suffered a hear attack whilst driving and was then involved in an accident. Luckily he was resuscitated on scene and later stabilized in the hospital. However to prevent further issues down the line he was inserted the device, which doesn't permit him to safely resume his career in the peloton.

Colbrelli, who has since accepted and moved on despite being in the prime of a very successful career, knows how it feels to be in the Belgian's shoes: "But in these moments we need to be strong and think that we are alive, most people cannot tell their story…Know that you are not alone and you will never be alone…I wish you the best for your new life."