Sonny Colbrelli has announced his retirement, revealing the emotions he has faced since suffering an unstable arrhythmia at the Volta a Catalunya in March and his desire to start a new chapter in his life.

"New challenges await me. I will continue to rejoice in every ride I do, even if it is for fun and not for competition," Colbrelli said in an official announcement released by the Bahrain Victorias team on Sunday.

"A year ago at this time, I was spending my days celebrating the most important victory of my career, Paris-Roubaix. Little did I know that a year later I would be faced with the most difficult moment of my life.

"But what I want to thank is my life for giving me a second chance, even at the risk of losing it. I am here today to remember that I came back from hell in the north a victor and did it in a legendary way that will go down in history and that I can tell my children about. It is because of them, my family, and all those close to me that I have been able to live this new life.

." From them, I have the strength to accept this moment in my sporting career, where I am here today, giving up my lifelong dream of adding Grand Tour and Flanders victories to my palmares."

Colbrelli recently told friends and former colleagues at a late-season race in Veneto He admitted that he has made a decision about his future. An official announcement was scheduled for November 15, but after La Gazzetta dello Sport revealed his plans on Saturday, Colbrelli made the decision to end his professional career.

Sonny Colbrelli announced his retirement, revealing the emotions he has faced since suffering an unstable arrhythmia at the Volta a Catalunya in March and his desire to start a new chapter in his life.

"New challenges await me. I will continue to take pleasure in every ride I do, even if it is not for competition but for fun," Colbrelli said in an official announcement made by his Bahrain Victorias team on Sunday.

"A year ago at this time, I was spending my days celebrating the most important victory of my career, Paris-Roubaix. I never thought that a year later I would face the most difficult moment of my life."

"But it is my life that I want to thank, a life that I risked losing and gave me a second chance. I am here today to remember that I came back from the hell of the North as a victor, that I did it in a legendary way that will go down in history, and that I can continue to pass it on to my children. It is because of them, my family, and all those close to me that I have been able to live this new life.

." From them, I have the strength to accept this moment in my sporting career, where I am here today to give up my lifelong dream of adding Grand Tour and Flanders victories to my palmarès."

Colbrelli admitted to friends and former colleagues at a recent end-of-season race in Veneto that he has made a decision about his future. An official announcement was scheduled for November 15, but after La Gazzetta dello Sport (opens in new tab) revealed his plans on Saturday, Colbrelli made the decision to end his professional career.

Colbrelli had been fitted with a subcutaneous defibrillator to protect him from other arrhythmias, but Italian law does not allow athletes to compete with this life-saving device. Colbrelli considered removing the defibrillator, but the risks were too high and he did not want to remove it for personal and family reasons

. With the defibrillator, we knew it would be difficult to go back," explained Colbrelli. [Removing the defibrillator would be contrary to best medical practice and would mean removing a lifesaving device that is necessary for secondary prevention. The risk is too high. For me, it is a risk I cannot take for the sake of life, an opportunity that I believe God has given me. For Adelina, for Vittoria, for Tomaso. For my parents.

Colbrelli made it clear that he will stay in the sport with Bahrain Victorious and be a role model for the young riders in Bahrain's development team, promising to keep a smile on his face in life.

"When I say goodbye to cycling, it's hard to say goodbye after a season like last year, but I try to say goodbye with a smile for all the good that cycling has given me. It was the best season of my career. I learned what life gives and what it takes away. But it also gives back in different ways."

"I'm ready to keep challenging myself to be a champion, just like on the bike. I will stay in cycling with Bahrain Victorious, who has been like a second family to me, and we will walk together through the transition from rider to a new role that evolves every day. I will be an ambassador for my partner, working closely with the performance group and sharing my experience with my teammates.

"It has been great to see my children take me as a role model over the past few months. Perhaps, I tell myself, it's because the muddy man looks a bit like a superhero. I want to do something for them sooner rather than later. In the meantime, I have an opportunity to be a reference for Team Bahrain Victorious and the development team: the Cycling Team Friuli and Canibal U19.