Sonny Colbrelli is back in his native Italy after almost a week spent in a Catalan hospital following his collapse on the opening day of the Volta a Catalunya.
The Bahrain Victorious rider was considered in stable enough condition to be transferred back to his home country on Saturday.
He will now undergo further tests at an Italian medical facility to get to the bottom of what caused his cardiac arrhythmia on Monday.
“Sonny Colbrelli returned to Italy after being transferred from the Hospital Universitari de Girona yesterday. Given the stable clinical conditions, Sonny Colbrelli was given clearance to travel to Italy,” read a statement from the Bahrain Victorious team on Sunday.
“The athlete, who collapsed shortly after finishing stage 1 of the Volta a Catalunya, was given immediate emergency care and then transported to the hospital to undergo examinations and investigate the cause of the unstable cardiac arrhythmia that required defibrillation.
“Further examinations will be carried out in the upcoming days in an Italian centre of excellence for the diagnosis and therapy of cardiovascular diseases.
“Until then, everybody at Team Bahrain Victorious wishes Sonny a quick recovery surrounded by the love of his family.”
Colbrelli collapsed after placing second in the uphill sprint on the opening stage of the Volta on Monday. He was quickly attended to by medical professionals and left the scene in an ambulance 45 minutes after the finish.
Bahrain Victorious later confirmed that Colbrelli had suffered an unstable cardiac arrhythmia that required defibrillation.
Initial tests were said to show “no signs of concern” but follow-up examinations were described as “inconclusive” as to the underlying cause of the incident.
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