Cyclist suspended after killing San Marino minister’s cat with air rifle

Trek-Segafredo cyclist Antonio Tiberi has been fined €4,000 (£3,500) and suspended by his team for fatally shooting a minister’s cat in San Marino.

The 21-year-old rider, a junior time trial world champion in 2019 and recent resident of the tiny republic landlocked within Italy, reportedly said he was trying out an air rifle and aimed at the cat’s head and fired.

The cat belonged to his neighbour, Federico Pedini Amati, San Marino’s minister of tourism and a former Captain Regent, or head of state, of San Marino.

“The cat didn’t bother anyone,” Pedini Amati was quoted as saying by Italy’s Corriere della Sera newspaper. “It had been with us for a long time. My three-year-old daughter Lucia loved it. You cannot kill a pet and get away with a €4,000 fine,” he said.

“I appreciated that the boy admitted the fact. Having said that, we don’t need to give these people residence.”

Trek-Segafredo tweeted a statement revealing they had given the rider a 20-day suspension without pay and warning that “if necessary the team will take further action in the future”. The team also stated they would donate the pay to an animal charity.

https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2023/feb/28/professional-cyclist-fined-after-killing-san-marino-minister-cat-with-air-rifle-antonio-tiberi

Twitter responses ...

https://twitter.com/TrekSegafredo/status/1630589106336985089?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1630589106336985089%7Ctwgr%5E7da4996c474e6bdfd5e6164dbfeb970b84203b64%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.theguardian.com%2Fsport%2F2023%2Ffeb%2F28%2Fprofessional-cyclist-fined-after-killing-san-marino-minister-cat-with-air-rifle-antonio-tiberi

You don't point a gun and pull the trigger at people or animals without intent. His penalty should be much harsher imo!

Trek should get rid of him.
Makes me want to sell my Trek.

HawkTheSlayer wrote:Trek should get rid of him.
Makes me want to sell my Trek.

Curious - since I bought a used Motobecane mountain bike for $200 - I went to Trek's site.

The prices were enough to make my head explode. If you can afford a bike in that price level...you're RICH.

As to the cat: It shows this guy's got a screw or two, loose. It's well he was released on his endorsing contract and kicked from the team.

A screw loose for sure.

Trek is quality and ain't cheap. Workmanship or price.

I have a Schwinn Mirada mountain bike too. About $200 when I bought it. It's been a great bike but it weighs a ton.

I can pick the Trek up with one finger.

HawkTheSlayer wrote:A screw loose for sure.

Trek is quality and ain't cheap. Workmanship or price.

I have a Schwinn Mirada mountain bike too. About $200 when I bought it. It's been a great bike but it weighs a ton.

I can pick the Trek up with one finger.

Judas Priest.

You're a bicyclist. Obviously deeply into it, given the price of those machines.

How do you square that with all the PBR you drink?

(Enquiring minds want to know. I tried that, 20 years ago...didn't work... )

Casey Jones wrote:

HawkTheSlayer wrote:A screw loose for sure.

Trek is quality and ain't cheap. Workmanship or price.

I have a Schwinn Mirada mountain bike too. About $200 when I bought it. It's been a great bike but it weighs a ton.

I can pick the Trek up with one finger.

Judas Priest.

You're a bicyclist.  Obviously deeply into it, given the price of those machines.

How do you square that with all the PBR you drink?

(Enquiring minds want to know.  I tried that, 20 years ago...didn't work... )

You can't spin and drink. At least I can't.  Lol.
When I lived in the PNWest, I did the STP(Seattle to Portland) . Not trying to win, of course.

Many of the trails in Washington state had breweries and wineries that catered to cyclists.
I stopped at a brewery between Redman and Woodinville on my way in once, after a hard run. I had 2 pale ales. Only had about 2 miles to finish.  I never did that again. Lol.

Crack one open in the car or after getting home.

HawkTheSlayer wrote:

Casey Jones wrote:

HawkTheSlayer wrote:A screw loose for sure.

Trek is quality and ain't cheap. Workmanship or price.

I have a Schwinn Mirada mountain bike too. About $200 when I bought it. It's been a great bike but it weighs a ton.

I can pick the Trek up with one finger.

Judas Priest.

You're a bicyclist.  Obviously deeply into it, given the price of those machines.

How do you square that with all the PBR you drink?

(Enquiring minds want to know.  I tried that, 20 years ago...didn't work... )

You can't spin and drink. At least I can't.  Lol.
When I lived in the PNWest, I did the STP(Seattle to Portland) . Not trying to win, of course.

Many of the trails in Washington state had breweries and wineries that catered to cyclists.
I stopped at a brewery between Redman and Woodinville on my way in once, after a hard run. I had 2 pale ales. Only had about 2 miles to finish.  I never did that again. Lol.

Crack one open in the car or after getting home.

@HawkTheSlayer, w/o trying to put words in @Casey Jones' mouth, I think he's more wondering how you reconcile high-end cycles w/what many consider low-end beer; not, how to cycle and drink.

Personally, I LIKE PBR. 'Tis good beer.

2cent wrote:

HawkTheSlayer wrote:

Casey Jones wrote:

HawkTheSlayer wrote:A screw loose for sure.

Trek is quality and ain't cheap. Workmanship or price.

I have a Schwinn Mirada mountain bike too. About $200 when I bought it. It's been a great bike but it weighs a ton.

I can pick the Trek up with one finger.

Judas Priest.

You're a bicyclist.  Obviously deeply into it, given the price of those machines.

How do you square that with all the PBR you drink?

(Enquiring minds want to know.  I tried that, 20 years ago...didn't work... )

You can't spin and drink. At least I can't.  Lol.
When I lived in the PNWest, I did the STP(Seattle to Portland) . Not trying to win, of course.

Many of the trails in Washington state had breweries and wineries that catered to cyclists.
I stopped at a brewery between Redman and Woodinville on my way in once, after a hard run. I had 2 pale ales. Only had about 2 miles to finish.  I never did that again. Lol.

Crack one open in the car or after getting home.

@HawkTheSlayer, w/o trying to put words in  @Casey Jones' mouth, I think he's more wondering how you reconcile high-end cycles w/what many consider low-end beer; not, how to cycle and drink.  

Personally, I LIKE PBR.  'Tis good beer.  

Oh , I see. Thanks.
PBR is kind of hard to find here. Cans only. If I could find PBR in the bottle, I'd drink it exclusively. I used to drink Pearl in the bottle.

I usually drink Bud or mostly Busch.

PBR is no cheaper than any other beer, here. It has more hops than other beers. You can taste the wee bit of hops. Lol.

Agreed that the guy has a screw loose, and would bet about anything that this is not his first incident of animal cruelty, or cruelty of some sort. Whether the team knew about it or not, is open to speculation. However, as obvious as it is that they're desperate to save their PR, it might be wisest to kick him to the curb entirely.

*Is there anyone on the planet who doesn't know that animal cruelty only escalates? The guy needs a shrink. Or rather, society needs him to get one.

There was an incident here during the week where 2 kids, 12 and 14 years old, stole a cat from someone's front porch then ran off it with and beat it to death with a baseball bat. They were identified by CCTV.

The beautiful, gentle little kitty was 17 years old and the incident has haunted me all week.

These feral brats are psychopaths in the making and should be named and shamed. It makes me so mad. I doubt we'll ever hear about the slap on the wrist they will most likely get.