European champion Sonny Colbrelli suffered a serious heart problem last week and the team said on Sunday that he was now back at home in Italy awaiting an examination for treatment.
The 31-year-old Bahrain Victorious driver finished second last monday in a fierce uphill sprint on the S1 stage of the Catalan Ring, second only to BikeExchange-Jayco's Michael Matthews. But after just drinking water after crossing the line, he lost consciousness due to cardiac arrest and fell to the ground, and he has been receiving treatment in the hospital in Girona ever since.
A recent statement from the team said: "In view of the current relatively stable clinical condition of Colebrelli, we have decided to allow him to return to Italy for treatment. In the following days, he will conduct further examinations at a well-known cardiovascular disease medical center in Italy to find out the specific cause of the irregular heart rate abnormality. "
Colbreli retired from Paris-Nice three weeks ago due to bronchitis, and since then he has been actively preparing for his comeback, but unfortunately, he has suffered from heart problems in The Tour de Catalunya shortly after his return.
He won the European championship last September and a few weeks later paris-roubaix, one of the five classics, winning a total of 34 races in his entire career.
In an interview with foreign media, Colbelli said: "It is already a miracle that I am still alive, and now I need another miracle to allow me to return to the game. "
Edit: Johnny
Image source: Bahrain - Victory Team official website