Italian cyclist Antonio Tiberi shot the cat of the Minister of San Marino. According to him, it was an accident.
Antonio Tiberi was fired. PDO
Italian racing cyclist Antonio Tiberi has been fired. 21-year-old Tiber’s team Trek-Segafredo announced the decision on Friday.
– Trek-Segafredo and Antonio Triberi have mutually decided to go their separate ways. The cyclist’s actions during the shelving did not meet our criteria for returning to competitions. We will not comment further on the matter for the time being, the team announced on Twitter.
Trek-Segafredo shelved Tiber in February after it emerged that a cyclist had shot San Marino’s tourism and postal minister Federico Pedini Amatin feline.
The shooting took place in June last year. According to Aftonbladet Tiberi said that he tested his new air rifle, but it all ended with the death of the cat.
– I admit that I aimed at the cat, but my intention was not to kill it. I was completely convinced that it was not a deadly weapon, the cyclist explained his actions.
Tiberi was fined 4,000 euros for killing the cat. Pedini Amati thought the punishment was too light.
– My three-year-old daughter adored that cat. It is not right that you can kill another pet and get away with fines of 4,000 euros, the minister commented.
Apology
After hearing about the incident, Trek-Segafredo put Tiber on unpaid forced labor for 20 days and donated the amount of money corresponding to the fine to an animal rights organization.
– The action completely goes against the team’s behavior patterns, the team announced.
A cyclist commented on the killing of a cat in February with a long text published on Instagram. According to him, it was an accident.
– I am deeply sorry. Shooting the cat was a very stupid and inappropriate act, the seriousness and danger of which I only realized afterwards. I don’t want to explain anything, I accept the punishment I received, he wrote.
Tiberi said that he donates money to associations that take care of stray cats in the San Marino area and that he uses his free time to help the associations. He also apologized to the minister of San Marino.
– I apologize again to the minister of San Marino for all the pain I caused him and the people of San Marino. I repeat, it was not my intention to kill the cat. It was an accident.