Italian pro rider Antonio Tiberi, who beat Eddie Dunbar to a stage win at Tour de Hongrie last year, has issued a statement after being fined for shooting dead a politician's cat in the principality of Sam Marino. His Trek-Segafredo team says it knew nothing of Tiberi's "trangression" until media reports emerged on Tuesday. It condemned the "reprehensible" act and suspended the 21-year-old without pay for at least 20 days.
Tiberi issued a statement on Tuesday, some eight months after shooting the animal dead last June and just hours after his offence emerged publicly in newspaper reports in Italy. He was fined €4,000. He told the judge while he took aim at the cat, as he tested the air rifle, he did not think it would kill the cat or even hit it. He was "surprised" when the animal was hit - being killed instantly from a head wound as its owner, a San Marino politician, looked on.
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Tiberi (21) was firing the gun from the window of his San Marino home last June, first hitting a road sign. He says he then aimed at the cat only "to measure the shooting capacity of the weapon" but with "no intention of killing the animal.
Tiberi, who finished 7th overall at UAE Tour last week and 8th overall at Tour Down Under earlier this year issued a statement on Tuesday evening saying he "deeply regrets" his "shameful actions". He said he had done "something tremendously stupid and irresponsible" adding "the seriousness and danger" of his actions only occurred to him "after the act".
"I don't want to make excuses, there is no 'if' or 'but'. I take full blame for my actions and fully accept the consequences," he said in the well crafted statement. "I did not speak publicly about the incident before, only because of my strong shame and regret. I understand the anger that many people are feeling right now. I can do nothing but apologise to them, just as I did to my team, who are blameless in this incident.
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"My conduct was not at all befitting of a professional athlete, much less a humane and kind person. I am especially sorry to the minister of San Marino, Frederico Pedini Amati, for the emotional damage I caused him, as well as all the citizens of San Marino
"Apologies are meaningless without action. Therefore, I will be donating all of my prize money this season to animal welfare organisations in San Marino, with the help and collaboration of the local government. In addition, I will be volunteering my time to helping those organisations in person.
"I realise that these gestures only come now, long after the incident. I'm hoping that by taking concrete steps, I can repair even a little bit of the damage and hurt that I have caused. I made a big mistake and I believe that now, the only thing I can do is to act to redeem."
In its separate statement issued on Tuesday evening, Trek Segafredo said while the rider had been suspended for 20 days, it may also take further action. It added the pay he forgoes when suspended would be donated to animal welfare causes.
"Trek Segafredo would like to reiterate its great disappointment in Antonio's conduct," it said. "The team strives to help riders improve, not just as athletes but as men and women. The team will work closely with Antonio to ensure he educates himself and expects him to take necessary steps to express his remorse and become a better person."
