Sant Feliu de Guíxols (AP) – The Italian European cycling champion Sonny Colbrelli collapsed after the finish of the opening stage of the Tour of Catalonia and collapsed unconscious.
As his team told Bahrain Victorious, the sprint specialist received immediate medical attention in the finish area and was then taken to a hospital. He was in stable condition when he was taken to Girona University Hospital by ambulance. The racing team announced that further medical examinations would be carried out in the hospital.
“He’s going to a hospital. He’s feeling bad, but he’s being taken to a hospital. He’s conscious and speaking,” said team boss Milan Erzen. The 31-year-old Colbrelli dropped out of the Paris-Nice race because of bronchitis and therefore decided not to start at Milan-Sanremo last Saturday.
In the uphill sprint to the finish of the first stage, Colbrelli had previously taken second place. The winner was the Australian professional cyclist Michael Matthews, who also took the lead in the overall standings. After 171 kilometers starting and finishing in Sant Feliu de Guíxols on Spain’s northeastern coast, Frenchman Quentin Pacher was third.
A sprint final is expected on Tuesday. After 202 kilometers, the stage, which was completely flat for the last 30 kilometers, ends in Perpignan, France. On Wednesday and Thursday there are significantly more vertical meters to be mastered. The tour ends in Barcelona on Sunday.