SCAN SPORT – Sentenced for killing a cat with an air rifle, Antonio Tiberi was sanctioned by his training.
It is a case that has caused a lot of ink to flow. In June 2022, in San Marino, Trek-Segafredo racer Antonio Tiberi shot a cat with an air rifle. The animal belonged to Federico Pedini Amati, the country’s transport minister. And for this act of cruelty, the 21-year-old Italian has just been fined €4,000. Before the judge, he admitted the facts but nevertheless insisted on defending himself: “My intention was to measure the firepower of the weapon and I was aiming for a traffic sign, he defended himself before the judge. I also admit that I aimed at a cat and to my surprise, I actually hit it. I had no intention of killing him, I was convinced that the weapon was not lethal“, he said, in remarks reported by the Corriere della Sera .
A twenty-day suspension
But this is not the only sanction imposed on him. Indeed, his training decided to suspend him for twenty days. He will therefore not participate in the Tirreno-Adriatico stage race (March 6-12) and the Milan-Turin one-day event (March 15). “Trek-Segafredo condemns this wrongdoing, which represents a serious violation of the team’s code of conduct. In addition to the fine imposed by the court, the team will give Antonio’s salary to an animal protection and rescue organization“, wanted to indicate the cycling team in a press release.
Antonio Tiberi has also publicly apologized. “I deeply regret my shameful actions. I did something incredibly stupid and irresponsible, the danger of which I realized only after the act. […] I understand the anger felt by many people. I can’t do anything but apologize, like I did to my team“, he notably published in a press release posted on his social networks. This season, the Italian climber has distinguished himself by finishing 8e of the general classification of the Santos Tour Down Under and 7e of the general classification of the UAE Tour.
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