The 32-year-old is following medical advice, as his racing team Bahrain Victorious announced on Sunday. Colbrelli has been wearing a defibrillator for about seven monthsafter he collapsed at the finish after the sprint on the first stage of the Tour of Catalonia on 21 March. The winner of the 2021 Paris-Roubaix spring classic says he wants to continue working for his racing team in a "new role".
Risk too high for Colbrelli
A return to professional sport would have been complicated for Colbrelli, as Italy, for example, prohibits athletes with a defibrillator from taking part in competitions. Danish footballer Christian Eriksen was also unable to continue playing for his Italian employers Inter Milan after collapsing at the 2021 European Championships and later moved to the English Premier League.
According to Colbrelli, he also thought about having the defibrillator, which corrects his heart rhythm if necessary, removed again, but came to the conclusion that the risk would be too high.
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