Giro d’Italia: It’s always Sonny in Salò

Sonny Colbrelli (Bahrain Victorious) made a brief but welcome visit to the mixed zone of the Giro d’Italia at the Salò start of stage 16 and confirmed that he has been training with his teammates.

Colbrelli spun his legs for two hours on the third and final rest day at the Giro with the race stopping near his hometown, and the 2021 Paris-Roubaix winner confirmed to VeloNews that he had been slowly upping his training over the last few weeks as he bids to make a possible comeback to the sport in the near future.

“I’m good. Yesterday I did two hours with my team and I’m very happy. After two months, after my problem, I’m very happy. Starting in my city, it’s a big emotion for me,” Colbrelli said Tuesday.

“Now I start with two hours, two and a half hours, maximum and very easy. I have one important test, I don’t know when but I’m back on my bike. It’s at an easy pace now. After the test I’ll speak with my team about if it’s possible to come back. My dream is to get back to the bike. That’s important for me. It’s not easy, it’s difficult but for sure I’ll try. I’m super motivated.”

Colbrelli, 32, suffered a cardiopulmonary arrest after the opening stage of the Volta a Catalunya in March.

He was later fitted with a subcutaneous defibrillator (ICD), which monitors the heart’s rhythm but there are no guarantees that he will return to the WorldTour at this point.

However the Italian is still dreaming of competing at the highest level again, and he was in fine spirits when VeloNews and other media outlets caught up with him at the start of stage 16 in the picturesque lakeside town of Salò, close to where Colbrelli lives.

Also read:

• Sonny Colbrelli treated by doctors after collapsing following stage 1 of Volta a Catalunya
• Sonny Colbrelli returns home after defibrillator implantation
• UCI confirms it is monitoring the progress of Sonny Colbrelli

Colbrelli’s teammates head into Tuesday’s all-important stage with designs on a podium place.

Mikel Landa sits at fourth overall, 59 seconds behind race leader Richard Carapaz (Ineos Grenadiers). Landa has back up in the form of Pello Bilbao, who is currently sixth at 1:52, and Colbrelli is confident that his teammates can continue to have an impact on the race as ite delves into the final week.

“I’m watching the Giro everyday on television. I speak with Mikel and Pello. They have no pressure or stress and I think that today is a really important stage. I think that Mikel for sure can be in a good position in Verona.”