After killing minister's cat: Professional cyclist kicked off team

In the summer of 2022, he shot the cat of San Marino's tourism minister - now Italian professional cyclist Antonio Tiberi has been sacked by his Trek-Segafredo racing team.

The rider's actions during his suspension did not meet the team's criteria for a return to competition, the team said in a statement. It was mutually agreed that he would be separated with immediate effect. No further details are available at this time.

At the end of February, the 21-year-old, who is regarded as one of Italy's greatest cycling talents, was fined 4,000 euros by a court in his home town of San Marino for shooting the cat of Tourism Minister Federico Amati. His racing team immediately suspended him for at least 20 days without pay. Tiberi's salary was to be donated to an animal charity organisation. The team had expressly not ruled out extending the ban.

Tried out an air rifle

In the summer of 2022, Tiberi had bought an air rifle and wanted to try it out. So he first shot at a road sign from the window of his flat. He then decided to aim at a cat's head - and fatally shot it. The cat belonged to Federico Amati, who called the police. The case ended up in court.

Tiberi, once junior world champion in the individual time trial, said last November that he had only wanted to test the range of the weapon and then wanted to hit a cat. To his surprise, he actually hit it. "I didn't want to kill it and was even convinced that my weapon wasn't lethal."

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