«It's a very important moment – Colbrelli begins – as you will have heard and read, I'm here to confirm my withdrawalAfter many months of thinking and reflecting. After talking with my family and seeing if it was worth continuing…».
The voice suddenly chokes. Sonny looks up. The moment has come., but it's not as easy to admit it in front of so many people who have gathered, as it was to admit it to himself. Journalists. Relatives. Industry insiders. An invited press conference. It's the afternoon of November 15th. Last year on these same days, the Brescian it was in the Merida headquarters to celebrate the victory of Roubaix, he's at home today FSA to say that it's all over.
Cassani rescue
Cassani intervenes, alongside Sonny as a friend rather than a technician. And Davide takes the microphone, relieving Sonny from the difficult moment. Tells about the adventures in blueHe repeats the words that many have heard him repeat in recent months, almost as if to chase away the melancholy and throw a lifebelt of hope to the man sitting next to him.
“We had a chat,” he says, “before coming before you. He told me he hadn't yet processed this idea.He has achieved so much in his career and now he wanted this meeting. He hadn't spoken for a long time. He's a person who has sown a lot and done well.. And now – turning to Colbrelli – if you're done crying, it's your turn again...".
The room erupts in laughter and applause. Emotion has invaded everyone's thoughts, but this is not the time to get depressed.This is the time to look forward. Melancholy has already filled his nights, and perhaps will continue to do so. Having a happy thought to cultivate will be the best balm.
The call with Eriksen
«After that March 21st – Sonny continues, heartened – my life has changed. You understand what happened and you have to be realistic. You'll never go back to the way you were beforeIt was hard to watch the races, but the next day I was already on my phone watching Bauhaus finish second at Catalunya. The bike has given me a lot and taken a lot away from me, but lately it has made me understand that life is only one..
«I am not Van der Poel or Evenepoel, It took me 32 years to reach my best level and at the best moment I had to stopI did a lot of tests. I used Eriksen (the Danish Inter player who was revived on the pitch during the match between Denmark and Finland at the 2020 European Championships, ed.) as a reference. Through some friends, I found his number. I texted him and he asked if he could call me back after his shower, because he had just finished training.We talked, but I understood that cycling is not football. And if it happened to me again on a descent, I could hurt myself a lot more.. So I'm stopping. I hope to continue to give a lot to cycling. I thank the team, which has reassured me for the future..."
Miholjevic's embrace
Next to him is Miholjevic, the team manager of Team Bahrain VictoriousVladimir is a tough guy, a man of few words. Tougher now as a manager than when he was a rider, yet he too is movedIt's not just Colbrelli's moment, in some ways it's his team's moment.
«We met Sonny – he says – when he arrived from Bardiani. He was a very strong boy, with great potential and the same enthusiasm as his children here in front.We managed to harness his strengths and brought joy to our team and to Italian cycling, with the victory in Roubaix, the most beautiful classic. Catalunya was a shock for us too. Even those of us who stopped due to age have not easily metabolised the fact that we are no longer riders, for Sonny it will be even harder».
Two years with the team
«We thought we had lost something – continues Miholjevic – instead now we think we have somehow gainedYou should have seen him on the bus, motivating the team with his spontaneous words. That's why we first felt compelled to stand by him and his family. But now we know what potential we have in our hands, with one who won the most important race for the team. Sonny will go down with us into the… mine (smiles, ed.) that works behind the scenesWe have 28 riders and 68 people. He'll become a more complete person. In the meantime, the children will grow up and Tommaso (he says laughing while pointing to Sonny's son, ed.) will start winning races. He will be with us for another two years».
Cycling for young people
The images of the victories scroll by. Then he is introduced. the logo with the cobra and the name Sonny Colbrelli, designed by Johnny Mole for a line of 71 Merida bikes wanted by Sonny, because 71 was the number on the jersey he won in Roubaix. Claudio Marra, the host, will be speaking., who gives him an award. He intervenes Dario Acquaroli, for Merida ItalyAnd two bigwigs from Merida Europe are also involved: Marketing Director Andreas Rottler and General Manager Wolfgang Renner. And Sonny, already more relaxed talks about the project and his idea of working for children's cycling.
«When I was little – he says – I had a track where I could ride safely. Now in the Brescia area I see children in the parking lot of a supermarket and It makes me so sad to see them in the middle of the glassI'd like to do something, I don't know when. It depends on how much Miholjevic makes me work (laughs, ed.). A facility where they can try all the specialties and then, if necessary, choose. We need to make young people fall in love with cycling, not present it to them as an obsession.».
Dangerous thoughts
Then he takes a moment of silence. Suddenly Colbrelli becomes Sonny again, the boy who dreamed of becoming a champion on his bicycle and suddenly the ghosts of the first nights come forward.
«I thought about taking the defibrillator off – he says in front of everyone and then he will go into more detail in private – do two years at the top and then put it backI thought so immediately when I discovered that it is removable. On a bike you may feel like you can do what you did before, but then you're afraid to push yourself to the max.. And then I think that anyway I wouldn't be the Sonny I once was. You're scared, you don't go to exhaustion.It wasn't supposed to happen that day, it wasn't my turn. I was lucky. Of 10 people who have had a cardiac arrest like that, 8 are not here to talk about it.You have to be strong and start a new career.
«I realized I was no longer a rider when she arrived the email with the team's roster and my name was no longer on the listBut if I've made a change of pace, I owe it to Paola, my mental coach. It made me realize my worth and that I'm stronger than I thought.I've realized that I can do important things even without being a rider. Now I see it this way; maybe tomorrow I'll retreat into my silence. It's not easy. There may be regret for Flanders and for not having always lived the life I have learned in recent times, but this is not the time for regrets».
The future is already a victory
The future is with the team and its sponsors. With young people to observe and materials to testThen perhaps the future will be a sporting director's card. No more speculation about bold solutions to circumvent the running ban. Once again, Sonny is the mature man who made Italian cycling dream in 2021.
«I wasn't just a rider – he smiles – as Miholjevic said. I will miss my classmates and my seat on the busCaruso and I are always in touch. He said to me, “Sonny, I’m with you.” We have a great laugh. I will also miss the sports director who in the evening brings the number to be pinned on the shirtI won't miss those days of toiling in 40-degree heat wondering who made me do it. But now that I say it, I miss them insteadWe must think about the beautiful…».
Children who grow up
"Now I ride my bike for fun, while before I was worried about work and weight. Now the stop at the bar is extendedI enjoy cycling, as many people have told me, that for them it's a way to unwind after a busy day. It really is. I used to start my day by saying, “Sonny, get up, get dressed, and go to work out.” Now I get up and say to myself, “Sonny, get up, get dressed, and make breakfast for the kids.” I'll start right away with four coffees, but it's a nice thing, because We riders watch our children grow up on our phones.
"And for the rest," he concludes, "I have my whole life ahead of me and many projects. The important thing is that I'm here and that not everyone can say that their last victory was a RoubaixBut I tell you right away that my heir is already here. Is called Jonathan Milan, we've all seen what he's made of. And maybe having me up there will help him grow up a little faster."
He smiles. He stands up. He offers more interviews. Sky is broadcasting live. Rai and Mediaset are on. Eurosport and La Gazzetta are on. There is a press room worthy of a great championAbove all, there's the conscious sense of a second chance. And in the face of life, everything else stops. Good life, SonnySee you at the races.
