Sonny Colbrelli's career came to an abrupt end last year when he collapsed from a heart attack at the end of the opening stage of Volta Ciclista a Catalunya. He was revived in the finish area last March and was lucky to survive.
As he needed to have an internal defibrillator fitted – similar to a pacemaker – he was not able to secure a licence to compete again in Italy and his career was ended.
But the Italian - who won Paris-Roubaix and the European road race title - clearly still loves being at the biggest races. At Omloop Het Nieuwsblad today he turned soigneur for his former Bahrain Victorious team mates a year after finishing 2nd in the event to Wout van Aert (Jumbo Visma).
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"A bit different of the Omloop Het Nieuwsblad twelve months ago when I finished in 2nd place," he said on Instagram sharing a photo of himself handing up bottles during today's race. "First race in the new role, always looking forward in a positive way!"
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Colbrelli (32) joined Bahrain Victorious when the team was created in 2017. When it became clear last year he was not going to race again, the team offered him an ambassadors role until at least the end of next year.
In that job he will help promote the team and its sponsors. He will also work with the riders on the World Tour team and the development squads linked to it, including junior team Cannibal B Victorious which Irish teenager Seth Dunwoody is racing for this year.
"He’ll stay with us at least until 2024 because we're sure he can make a big contribution,” team manager Milan Erzan told La Gazzetta dello Sport last November. “We hoped he could perhaps return to racing but his health comes first and he’s made the right decision. The Bahrain team was created in 2017 and Sonny has been with us from the start. After Vincenzo Nibali, he was the second rider we really wanted in the team."
