A driver fires shots from his vehicle at a group of cyclists in Italy

A winter training session almost ended in tragedy for SC Padovani Polo Cherry Bank in the province of Verona. A group of riders from the Veneto team were victims of a serious incident while training on roads near Dolcè, in the Val d’Adige: a car pulled alongside them and two shots were fired from inside the vehicle in the direction of the cyclists. Fortunately, no one was injured.

The team itself made the incident public through its official channels, detailing a sequence of events that left riders, staff and management deeply shaken. According to the team, the group was in the middle of a pre-Christmas training camp, combining road training with constant supervision from team vehicles.

“Suddenly, a dark-coloured car approached the riders on their bikes. The driver lowered the window and fired two shots at the athletes. The riders barely had time to duck in shock, and the vehicle immediately fled the scene without a trace,” reads the statement issued by SC Padovani Polo Cherry Bank. The incident took place late in the morning, while the group led by sports directors Dimitri Konychev, Matteo Paiola, Franco Lampugnani and Biagio Conte was training in the area.

The training session had been carefully planned. The programme included stretches riding two abreast, so the squad had been divided into two groups of seven riders, travelling along the SS12 state road near Dolcè and accompanied by three team cars. During a transfer phase, when one of the vehicles moved ahead to wait for the group at the turnaround point, the attack occurred. After returning to their headquarters at the Veronello Resort, the team gathered testimonies and images in order to file a formal complaint with the relevant authorities.

It will now be up to investigators to clarify what happened and determine, among other things, whether the shots were fired using live ammunition or blanks. Even if it were confirmed to be blank rounds, this would not reduce the seriousness or the disturbing nature of the incident.

Club president Galdino Peruzzo expressed his relief at the fact that there were no physical consequences for the cyclists, while not hiding his concern over what had happened. “We are relieved because all the riders are fine, but what happened is terrible and we hope it never happens again. The road is our riders’ gym, and as a club we adopt every possible measure to ensure they train safely. Unfortunately, when faced with the madness of certain individuals, there is little that can be done. Moreover, this is not the first episode of aggression by motorists that we have suffered in recent weeks. In September, Marco Palomba was hit by a driver who then fled the scene. It is necessary to raise awareness among everyone who gets behind the wheel about respect,” he said.

Sports director Dimitri Konychev echoed those sentiments, underlining the care taken when choosing training routes. “The Lake Garda area is one of the most welcoming and suitable places to train at this time of year. Every day we design our routes carefully, avoiding main roads and peak traffic hours. That is precisely why we moved to the Val d’Adige, to a wide, free-flowing road that on Saturdays has no heavy traffic. Our riders wear visible clothing and lights on their bikes, and they were accompanied by the team car from the first to the last kilometre. At times we even make it easier for cars to overtake, but much more respect is needed,” he concluded.