A training ride like any other quickly turned into a very serious incident. Late in the morning of Saturday, December 20th, along State Road 12 in the Adige Valley, near Dolcè (Verona), a group of young cyclists from the Sc Padovani Polo Cherry Bank were approached by a dark car. From the car, the driver fired two shots, likely blanks, aimed at the athletes, who fortunately were not hit.
Fear and collection of testimonies
The young people, busy with their pre-Christmas pickup and properly lined up in double rows, only had time to duck in fright, as the car sped away shortly thereafter. No one was injured, but the psychological impact was severe. The company immediately began collecting testimonies and useful material, working with its lawyers to formalize the complaint.
Describing the group's state of mind is Sc Padovani president Galdino Peruzzo: "We're relieved that the boys are safe, but it remains a disturbing episode that should never have happened." Peruzzo reiterates that safety is a constant priority, while acknowledging the limits of any prevention: "The road is our training ground, and we do everything we can to protect the athletes, but in the face of acts of pure madness, it's difficult to protect oneself."
The president then broadens the discussion to a more general problem of coexistence on the roads: "This isn't the first time. Last year, one of our cyclists was hit by a hit-and-run driver. We know that cyclists can sometimes be a nuisance, but to the point of shooting, even with blanks, is unacceptable."
The story of the facts
Going into detail, Peruzzo reconstructs the dynamics and the emotional aftermath: "There were seven of them, driving side by side. A car pulled up and fired two shots. The road was clear, without traffic, and they weren't obstructing anyone. The boys are in shock: a moment, the slightest contact, and the outcome could have been dramatic." The shock was especially felt later, once they returned: "There was a lot of tension on the way back. It was a real scare."
Towards the complaint
The complaint, the president confirms, is now ready, and there's solid evidence to identify the perpetrator: "We've prepared everything with our lawyers, and the Carabinieri have already contacted us. We have the license plate and the information needed to identify him. The shooter may have thought he'd get away with it, but that's not the case."
The closure is also a call for mutual respect: "There's a growing sense of unease toward cyclists. We all need to do our part, be more orderly and responsible, but incidents like this cannot and must not be tolerated."
CONCLUSION
It's no longer acceptable to continue justifying the anger and stress of road users. If we want to talk about civic growth, it's clear we're going in the opposite direction, as increasingly frequent incidents of this kind demonstrate. It's not an exaggeration to say that "the world is falling apart": behaviors like this are proof of that. A serious soul-searching is needed. Haste or any other excuse cannot become an alibi.
Not even the presence of a bike lane can be considered a valid reason, since it's invoked even where there isn't one or, at best, it's a pedestrian/cycle lane. And it's worth clarifying: a pedestrian/cycle lane is a space shared with pedestrians, who inevitably end up occupying the road. Yet this doesn't lead cyclists to mount a horn on their handlebars and honk or shout insults every time they encounter a family walking peacefully in the middle of the road.
