Sonny Colbrelli from Team Bahrain-Victorious will be watching this year’s Paris-Roubaix from the comfort of his home, this is an event that he won back in 2021. Colbrelli is an accomplished rider and one of the strongest assets that Bahrain-Victorious has, but after he had a heart attack at the Volta Catalunya, his life changed completely, now he just feels happy and grateful to be alive and with his family.
Colbrelli is not focused on race events or his bike, the incident forced him to have a different approach to life. He is grateful to have survived and enjoys his time enjoying with his family. It is not like he has fully abandoned his career, Colbrelli recently posted a video of him enjoying a bike ride with a fantastic view of the sunset.
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Reflecting back on his legacy, Colbrelli has posted a lot of pictures of him cycling, especially from last year’s Paris-Roubaix victory. However, he has also posted pictures with his son, and his family. His preference is family right now and that makes him more than happy.
In an interview Colbrelli said:
Lots of people ask me how I am and I reply: I’m happy, I’m with my son and my family.
There’s not much else to say, I feel lucky, very lucky. And I’m not just saying that.
We all know that life is temporary. We never think about it, especially when our lives are full and busy, like the lifestyle of a pro cyclist. Indeed, when I woke up in hospital, I struggled to realise what had happened, it was initially difficult to believe and accept.
At first I was angry and asked: ‘Why me?’ and ‘What did I do to deserve this?’ but they’re questions that are impossible to answer.
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Colbrelli is recovering well from the heart attack that he suffered, recently he also got a subcutaneous defibrillator installed under his collarbone which will reset his heart should he experience another heart attack.
It seems that his career could be over, as Italian doctors don’t normally issue licenses to athletes that have these devices fitted into them. That is where things get tricky because Danish soccer player Christian Eriksen is allowed to play at a professional level although he also has the same kind of device in him. There are apparent differences/demands between professional cycling and football.
If it weren’t for the skilled medical staff present at the races in Spain and Italy, he would not be alive today. Colbrelli even expressed his utmost gratitude for the medical staff:
I’ll always thank the medical team, my family, and my Bahrain Victorious team. They’ve been fantastic and have always been there for me. They’re helping me see the other side of life, which is a lot better simply because I’m alive.
I’m at the start of my next journey in life. Of course there will be a point where we’ll have to evaluate things and make some big decisions but there’s time for that.
Apart from being a legend in the realm of professional cycling, Colbrelli is also aiming to expand his literary prowess. He published a book recently with the help of the famous writer Marco Pastonesi.
The message of the book is the same as before my problems: never give up, whatever happens.
I’m determined to carry on living, looking back is useless. The future is synonymous with hope.
Whatever approach Colbrelli takes, his name has already been written in history. He is a skilled and professional cyclist, there are still many youngsters out there that wish to be the next Colbrelli.
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Featured Image Via Instagram/sonnycolbrelli
