Disturbing scenes for the Italian Continental team S.C. Padovani Polo Cherry Bank. During a training camp on Saturday, some of their riders were fired upon with a gun by a passing car. Although it is difficult to see clearly from a distance, the team has shared footage of the attack. Riders and staff are shocked but miraculously escaped without injuries.
On Saturday morning, the team was training in two groups in the Adige Valley, the team wrote on their website. Both groups were accompanied by team cars. At one point, the team car from one of the two groups drove ahead to wait for the riders at a turning point when the attack occurred. A dark car caught up with them, drove alongside the group, and according to the team, fired two bullets at the riders. They recoiled in shock, before footage shows the car speeding away.
Once back at the Veronello Resort, a report was immediately filed with the Italian police. All riders gave statements, and footage of the incident was promptly documented by the authorities. "We are relieved that all the boys are safe after what happened on Saturday," says team manager Galdino Peruzzo. "This is a terrible incident that we hope will never happen again. The road is the training ground for our young riders, and as a team, we do everything to guarantee their safety. Unfortunately, there is little we can do against the madness of certain individuals."
The president emphasized that aggression against riders during training must stop. In September, their rider Marco Palomba was also hit by a motorist who then fled the scene. Former pro Dimitri Konychev—team director—also called for more respect. "The area around Lake Garda is one of the most welcoming and suitable training locations during this period. We carefully and meticulously plan our training routes every day to avoid busy roads and rush hours. Our athletes wear bright clothing and have lights on their bikes to be visible to motorists. We monitored the riders from the first to the last kilometer. Occasionally, we allow motorists to overtake with the team car, but more respect is needed."
Watch the footage below: warning, it may be disturbing.
