Former UCI World Road Champion Mario “Lion King” Cipollini, 55, is headed to prison after an Italian court found him guilty of domestic abuse.

A judge committed Cipollini to three years in Italy’s crowded prison system on 17 Monday 2022 after a multi-year long trial that began when he was charged with domestic abuse of his ex-wife. The judge also ordered Cipollini to pay €80,000 in restitution to his ex-wife.

In 2017 Cipollini was arrested by police after Sabrina Landucci, his ex-wife, accused him of abusing, kicking, punching, stalking and threatening her by pressing a gun to her forehead, according to court proceedings.

In his closing comments to the judge, the court prosecutor called Cipollini an “extremely violent, extremely threatening and extremely abusive man,” according to BiciSport.

As a professional rider, Cipollini was implicated in the Operación Puerto doping scandal in the early 2000’s, with La Gazzetta dello Sport publishing reports that he used EPO and had undergone a series of blood transfusions during the 2002 season, in which he won Milan-San Remo, Gent-Wevelgem and the World Championships.

In recent year’s Cipollini has been a highly sought-after celebrity rider for some of Italy’s biggest gran fondos, including Alé Merckx, Strade Bianche, Nove Colli and the Iscia 100.

Photos/Media: Mario Cipollini FB