Neri-Sottoli's overall Coppa Italia win under fire

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The Coppa Italia, a series of Italian races ranked HC or 1, wrapped up with the GP Bruno Beghelli today. Sonny Colbrelli (Bardiani CSF) won the overall individual classification and, perhaps most importantly, the team classification went to Neri Sottoli, who beat Bardiani CSF by a single point. The top overall team in the series is given a wildcard invitation to the Giro d'Italia the following season, but Neri Sottoli's win has come under question by the competing team managers.

Androni Giocattoli manager Gianni Savio said that his team appealed to the cycling league for the Coppa Italia to void the rankings until an investigation into alleged non-compliance with the regulations is completed.

"If [irregularities] are found, it would lead to a recalculation of the points for the championship," Savio said to Tuttobiciweb.it. Savio himself was heard by the judges, but said he could not go into detail. The objections reportedly stem from a April 16 decision by the Italian Olympic Committee that related to foreign athletes competing in ongoing Italian sport competitions. Riders in the series would be required to have residency in Italy, and it is unclear if the one foreign rider from Neri Sottoli who scored points - Brazilian Rafael Andriato, who was fourth in the GP Bruno Beghelli and 50 total points in the series - meets this requirement.

"If the infringement is established, our team would go from third to second place," Savio said, something that would be important to his Venezuelan backers. "You should know that the title of runner up in South America has far greater significance than in Italy. I would like to point out that this request is outside the discussion of wild cards for the Giro d'Italia - the ethical assessments for this are up to RCS Sport."

Neri Sottoli's Matteo Rabottini, third in the Settimana Coppi e Bartali, tested positive for EPO in an out-of-competition control on August 8, 2014, but the validity of his results is apparently not part of the investigation.

2014 Coppa Italia individual rankings