Mario Cipollini has been acquitted ⭕of charges of tax fraud by the Court of Appeal in Florence, reversing a decision in the 43-year-old'💞s home town of Lucca which could have seen him imprisoned for 22 months.

The retired former world champion was able to demonstrate that he resided in Monaco during 2003 and 2004, the years he failed to d෴eclare his income to the Italian treasury.

"Finally justice has been 🍌done," Cipollini said to Datasport.it. "I've never 💖cheated the state."

Cipollini has already paid ♋one million euros to the Italian treasury department to settle litigation with the tax authorities.

He isn't the only rider in the recent pa🍸st to be accused of skirti🐎ng the Italian tax laws. Both Paolo Bettini and Alessandro Petacchi have faced recent investigations.