A italian road cyclist has been suspended from his team and fined more than $4,000 after he shot and killed a cat belonging to former San Marino head of state and current tourism minister Federico Pedini Amati.
Trek-Segafredo announced Tuesday that Antonio Tiberi, 21, would be suspended «a minimum of 20 days without pay» after local media reported that Tiberi had been fined $4,300 for shooting his neighbor’s cat with an air rifle in 2022 in San Marino.
Antonio Tiberi of Italy and Team Trek – Segafredo competes during the 77th Vuelta a España 2022, Stage 8. (Justin Setterfield/Getty Images)
«Regarding the recent sentencing of Antonio Tiberi in San Marino, Trek-Segafredo fully agrees with the fine and strongly condemns the reprehensible act, which is a clear violation of the team’s code of conduct,» the statement read. equipment.
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«The team was previously unaware of the violation and immediately suspended Antonio for a minimum of 20 days without pay… If necessary, the team will take further action in the future. In addition to the fine already issued by the courts, the team will donate the Antonio’s suspended payment to an appropriate organization for the care, protection and rescue of animals».
Antonio Tiberi of Italy and Team Trek – Segafredo after crossing the finish line during the 5th UAE Tour 2023. (Dario Belingheri/Getty Images)
Tiberi issued a lengthy statement on Instagram apologizing for the incident.
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“I deeply regret my shameful actions. Shooting the cat was something wildly stupid and irresponsible, the seriousness and dangers of which I only realized later. I don’t want to make any kind of excuse to comment, add some ‘if’ or ‘but.’ I accept with a sense of responsibility and regret the consequences and guilt of my action. If I have not spoken publicly about it before, it was only out of a strong feeling of shame and regret.»
His statement continued: «I understand the criticism from fans, the media and the public in general. I can do no more than apologize to them, just as I did to my team, who are blameless victims of the matter. My conduct was not he was in everything as befits a professional athlete and, more generally, a responsible and sensible person I apologize once again and publicly to the Minister of San Marino, Pedini Amati, for the emotional damage I caused him, as well as to all citizens of San Marino. Finally, I reiterate to all of you that it was not my intention to kill the cat, it was an accident.»
Antonio Tiberi of Italy and Team Trek – Segafredo run during the 23rd Santos Tour Down Under 2023. (Tim deWaele/Getty Images)
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Tiberi said that in addition to the fine and suspension, he plans to donate a part of his earnings from this current season to «some associations in the territory of San Marino that deal with stray cats.»
Amati told local media that although he appreciates the apology, the fine is not adequate for the actions committed.
«The cat didn’t bother anyone,» he said via Reuters. «It had been with us a long time. My 3 year old daughter Lucia loved it. You can’t kill a pet and get away with it…fine. I appreciated the boy admitting to the fact. That being said, no need to give them residence to these people».