Mario Cipollini, 55, was sentenced to three years in prison by a Lucca court on Monday for abusing two domestic partners, his ex-wife Sabrina Landucci and more recently her current partner Silvio Giusti.

The Italian was charged with domestic abuse, stalking, and injury to two people in a case first brought before the court in March 2019. The court also required Cipollini to pay €80,000 in damages to Landucci and €5,000 to Giusti.

This sentence exceeds the two years and six months requested by prosecutor Letizia Kai.

The prosecutor described Cipollini in the indictment as "an extremely violent, extremely threatening, and extremely abusive man," who, according to testimony, once threatened Landocci with a gun because he chose to wear a skirt he felt was too short.

According to Bicisport, the former world champion has repeatedly denied abusing his partner and denied the episode in which he grabbed his ex-wife in front of lawyers and dozens of witnesses in court.

Cipollini and Landucci married in 1993 and had two daughters, but divorced in 2005 after he retired from professional cycling.

In her complaint, Landucci stated that Cipollini assaulted her in 2017 in front of co-workers and customers at the sports center where she worked. 'He grabbed me by the neck and slammed my head against the wall. I was injured and had to go to the emergency room."

Cipollini, one of cycling's most social personalities, earned many fines while leading the Tour de France, provoking the UCI with a number of "special" race kits, including wearing an all-yellow race kit for the first time. He also provoked race organizers by abandoning the Grand Tour midway before a mountain stage.

His legacy was already tarnished by being named in the Operacion Puerto scandal before the abuse charges.

According to the Corriere Florentino, Landucci said, "This sentence comes at the end of a long and difficult road, but I am happy. Above all, it was hard to be told in court how inadequate I was as a mother: I have fought my whole life for my daughters. I hope that this verdict will give courage to the many people living in this situation who have not found the courage to take steps to obtain justice."

Chipotle's mother, who was also a mother, said.

Cipollini did not appear at the hearing, and his lawyer announced his intention to appeal the ruling.

In the United States, October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month. Call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 800-799-7233 or text "START" to 88788. For more information on how to recognize the signs of domestic violence, click here.