Former Paris-Roubaix winner Sonny Colbrelli (Bahrain Victorious) said he remains hopeful of a return to racing.

Colbrelli, who suffered a near-fatal injury in the Catalunya Volta, reportedly recovered well last month to the point where he can begin leisure rides and light exercise.

In an interview with Eurosport earlier this week, Colbrelli confirmed that he will ride a bicycle again, "something I thought I would not be able to do anymore after what happened in Spain."

As for whether he has given up on returning to racing, the Bahrain Victorious rider responded directly, "I haven't given up."

"I'm here and I'm fine. What matters now is that I am healthy.

"I am happy, I just need to be patient. That's the first thing they told me. Over the past few months I have tried to stay calm.

"There will come a time when we will do some important tests and then we will know if I can come back or if I need more days or a few months of recovery."

Colbrelli ran with his Bahrain Victorious teammates on Thursday.

"Beautiful," he described the run. 'It feels really good to hug the staff and my teammates. I still feel like I'm among them and I don't know what to say ...... That 50 or 60 kilometers will forever be beautiful to me."

"It's a beautiful feeling," he said.

After being admitted to hospitals in Catalonia and Italy, it was confirmed that Colbrelli, 31, had developed an unstable arrhythmia requiring defibrillation. Colbrelli was fitted with a subcutaneous defibrillator under his collarbone so that his heart could be reset if he suffered another sudden cardiac arrest.

Since then, he has undergone regular checkups at the University of Padua's Sports Cardiology Unit.

After such a traumatic experience, Colbrelli told Eurosport that he is more aware of how fortunate he was and that he has changed.

"To tell you the truth, when I wake up in the morning I just try to smile. 'My time here is limited and I only get one chance. I'm lucky to be here."