Androni Giocattoli team manager Gianni Savio has hit back at accusations that he forced riders to find sponsors in exchange for places in his team, confirming he will take legal action against key witness Matteo Mammini, who accused Savio of requesting €50,000 in exchange for a place in his team.
Last Thursday Savio, Angelo Citracca of Wilier-Southeast and Bruno Reverberi of Bardiani-CSF were cleared of any wrong doing at the end of the ‘pagi e corri' – 'pay and ride' investigation and hearing in Rome - despite formal statements gathered during the investigation claiming that riders are often put under pressure to find sponsors to cover their salaries and secure places in the teams.
The full verdict of the hearing has yet to published but Cyclingnews understands that the UCI has obtained the written statements and documents as it considers team licences for the 2017 season.
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The 'pay and ride' hearing was sparked by a detailed investigation by journalist Marco Bonarrigo which was published in the Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera.
Savio told Cyclingnews he spent the weekend writing a carefully worded letter as he fights to save his reputation. The experienced and astute Italian manager moved to separate his case from that of Citracca and Reverberi. Savio openly admits that he often signed riders who help secure sponsorship or riders put forward by his sponsors but denied any wrong doing.
"After the verdict of acquittal some media wrote, 'the acquitted celebrate'. I have not celebrated because I was and am angry and bitter about being accused of a wrongdoing I never committed. You cannot celebrate when you have bitterness in your soul. Bitterness at being libeled by a former rider - Matteo Mammini - whose obvious intent was to take revenge with me for not being hired in the team I directed in 2013," Savio writes in his letter, going on to describe the quality of the riders on his 2013 roster, claiming that none of the riders some how needed to pay to ride.
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