Colbrelli collapsed after finishing second in the opening stage of the Catalunya Tour of Spain. Doctors immediately started cardiopulmonary resuscitation with a defibrillator and the 32-year-old regained consciousness.
The Italian subsequently had a defibrillator implanted and in April he was given the go-ahead to return to “lighter physical activity”.
But now there will be no more competitions for Colbrelli, who last season, among other things, won the prestigious Paris-Roubaix bicycle race.
“A year ago I celebrated one of the greatest triumphs of my career, Paris-Roubaix. I never thought that now, a year later, I would experience one of my most difficult moments,” he said in a statement at his stable Bahrain Victorious website.
“After what happened in Catalonia, I have never lost hope of continuing my career. I knew that the road back would be difficult and now I have to say goodbye to cycling”.
Colbrelli was treated by several of the people who helped the Danish footballer Christian Eriksen back, after the Dane suffered a cardiac arrest in the European Championship last summer.
“Cycling is not football. It is a different sport where you cannot get medical help right away. Football training takes place in a limited area, while as a cyclist you are alone on the road for many hours,” says Colbrelli.