Trek - Segafredo's Antonio Tiberi involved in shocking case as he's convicted of killing San Marino minister's cat

Antonio Tiberi of Trek - Segafredo has been convicted on what can only be considered a shocking case, as the Italian rider has been convicted after shooting a cat that belonged to a minister of the microstate of San Marino where he lives.

Antonio Tiberi is a 21-year-old Italian Trek-Segafredo cyclist who won his first professional victory in the Tour of Hungary last year and who made his debut in the Tour of Spain with the American team, finishing eighth in the initial prologue in Utrecht. This 2023 season, he has finished eighth in the Tour Down Under and seventh in the UAE Tour, two more than exciting results that, however, have not led him to grab headlines in the Italian press, as if he has unfortunately achieved it by an unpleasant fact.

As published by the Corriere della Sera colleagues, the rider has been sentenced to pay a fine of 4,000 euros for shooting a cat to death. Thus, Tiberi, resident in San Marino for tax reasons, was testing a compressed air rifle when the unfortunate event took place.

"Standing with the Hatsan BT65 SB Elite air rifle near the window of the apartment where he resides in San Marino... the defendant fired shots in the direction of via Istriani, intentionally hitting a passing cat in the skull.Shortly after a request for intervention was received from a citizen. The 'Lince 1 Sera' patrol of the Gendarmerie quickly went to the scene of the shooting. A meticulous criminal investigation was launched which led to the recent conviction," police sources explained.

Thus, the cat had been 'adopted' by the San Marino Tourism Minister, Federico Pedini, who was in charge of making the corresponding complaint on June 21, which ended with a fine of 4,000 euros for the ider after proving that he killed the animal with the gun.

"The cat didn't bother anyone," says Minister Pedini Amati, "it had been with us for a long time. My three-year-old daughter Lucia loved it. You can't kill a pet and get rid of a 4,000-euro fine. I liked that the boy admitted the fact, after saying that “we don't have to give these people residence.” In the meantime, the rifle has been confiscated.

It is unknown whether Tiberi will face more consequences however all throughout social media there have been calls for action within the American team.