Cipollini convicted of tax evasion

MILAN (Reuters) - Former world road race champion Mario Cipollini has been convicted of tax evasion in 2003 and 2004 although he will not serve a 22-month prison sentence because of an Italy-wide pardon.

A court in Lucca ruled that he had lived in the Tuscan city during that time despite stating he was a resident of Monaco. He was found not guilty of tax evasion in 2001 and 2002.

"We don't understand why the judge has not applied the same principle to the whole period," Cipollini's lawyer Giuseppe Napoleone told reporters.

"The actual punishment will be wiped out because of the pardon but we will appeal so we don't pay the administrative sanction."

The 42-year-old, who won the world title in 2002 and 12 stages on the Tour de France, retired in 2005 but made a short-lived comeback in 2008.

Italy has long been probing sports personalities' tax obligations. MotoGP world champion Valentino Rossi was forced to pay 35 million euros ($46 million) last year to settle a dispute with the fiscal authorities.

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