As the 2022 edition of the race he won last year looms, Sonny Colbrelli is spending time with his family just weeks before the collapse of the Volta a Catalunya. The 2021 Paris-Roubaix champion told La Gazzetta he feels “lucky” to be alive, and hasn’t yet reached the point of making a decision whether to continue or not.

Colbrelli, 31, was hospitalized after suffering cardiac arrhythmia at the finish of the opening stage of the Volta a Catalunya earlier this year. Hot on the heels of a career-defining win at Paris-Roubaix last year, Colbrelli looked set for a big Classics campaign this spring. Instead, he underwent surgery in March to have a subcutaneous defibrillator implanted in his body.

“I will never stop thanking the doctors, my family and the team,” Colbrelli told La Gazzetta dello Sport. “They were fantastic, they never left me for a moment, comforting me. Gradually, I began to see the flip side of the coin.

Colbrelli said he struggled with the frustration of his situation but ultimately tried to see the joy in being alive and with his family.

“Well, we all know that in this world we are transient. We never think about it, especially if we have a busy life. Like that of cyclists. When I woke up in the hospital, I struggled to understand what had happened: [it was] hard to believe and accept,” Colbrelli said.

“At first I was angry at the world and asked, ‘Why me?’ and ‘What did I do to deserve this?’ but you are looking for answers that you cannot find, that no one can find. Those were the worst days. »

At this time, it remains unclear if Colbrelli will be able to return to racing professionally. Although he has resumed horse riding, the cause of his cardiac arrhythmia is not known, and although he was healthy enough to compete, the presence of a subcutaneous defibrillator could make him ineligible for the race. In Italy, for example, athletes wearing the device are banned from competition.

Colbrelli told La Gazzetta that the time had not yet come to make a definitive statement on the matter.

“There will be a time when we will do all the assessments and then we will decide,” he said. “I’ve read so many wrong things about myself…I’m fine and enjoying every moment. My kids and my wife first.