Although he is a professional cyclist, he is not one of the most famous names in his discipline, and he is currently in an unpleasant situation in his country.
Antonio Tiberi, a 21-year-old Italian professional cyclist with the Trek-Segafredo team, was recently convicted of shooting a cat with an air rifle last June.
The Corriere della Sera reported an incident in San Marino, where Tiberi lives. The cyclist shot a cat from his apartment window, killing it instantly. In his defense, he said, "I just wanted to measure the firepower of the weapon. I was aiming at a street sign and did not intend to kill the cat."
"My daughter loved him"
The slaughtered cat belonged to Federico Pedini Amati, Minister of Tourism of the small republic. The latter expressed his sadness by saying that the cat had lived with them for a long time and did not bother anyone. He also added that his daughter Lucia loved the animal very much.
The minister was particularly angry at the lightness of the sentence imposed on Antonio Tiberi, which resulted in a fine of only 4,000 euros. "You can't kill a pet and get away with a mere 4,000 euro fine," he said. "People like him don't deserve to live here."
Beyond the reaction of the minister, this story has caused indignation among many Italians.
