Sonny Colbrelli collapsed just minutes after placing second on the opening stage of the Volta a Catalunya, suffering a cardiac arrest before being resuscitated and taken to hospital in Girona.
The Italian star of the sport showed no major issues on scans, with more to come to determine the root of the problem that saw him suffer the medical emergency.
“After being admitted to Hospital Universitari de Girona Doctor Josep Trueta, Sonny Colbrelli was conscious and feeling OK. He has since been in touch with family and friends as he recovers at the hospital,” a team statement read Tuesday.
“He will undergo further tests today to discover the cause of yesterday’s incident. All cardiac tests carried out last night showed no signs of concern or compromised functions.”
Colbrelli himself gave brief comments to Italian media, talking about not being able to remember the incident, and already heralding a return to the peloton.
“I’m here in the hospital, resting, I don’t remember anything,” Colbrelli told La Gazzetta dello Sport. “Only that I crossed the line, I stopped, I took the water and I collapsed. Then the emptiness, and I woke up in the hospital.
“Now I’m here, they keep me monitored. It was a great scare, but I am already thinking about when I will be able to return to the group.”
A medical communique from Volta a Catalunya race organisers confirmed the details of the life-threatening moment at the Spanish WorldTour race for Colbrelli.
According to an official statement released Monday evening, race officials confirm that the 2021 Paris-Roubaix winner lost consciousness and went into convulsions before suffering what was described as a cardiopulmonary arrest after finishing second on the stage.
“About 100 metres after crossing the finish line, Colbrelli lost consciousness with seizures and subsequently suffered cardiopulmonary arrest,” the statement read. “Paramedics immediately attended to him and were able to reverse the situation with CPR and the use of a defibrillator.”
Colbrelli had contracted bronchitis in the mass outbreak of the respiratory condition during Paris-Nice, pulling out of that race and also missing one of his main targets of the year, Milan Sanremo, due to the illness. It is unknown at this stage whether that condition contributed to his cardiac arrest.
