In 2011, Davide Rebellin was charged with tax evasion, with the prosecutors claiming that he owes the Italian state up to 2,5 million Euro. Last week, the trial began in Padua but has now been adjourned until April 2014 when the prosecution witnesses will be heard. The defence will present its case in July.

Despite being 42 years of age, Davide Rebellin is still riding as a professional at the CCC Polsat team. In addition with his challenge of keeping up with his younger rivals, the Italian also has to deal with charges of tax evasion, with prosecutors claiming that he owes the Italian state 2,5 million Euro.

Rebellin was charged in 2011 after an investigation known as "Operation Zero Taxes" had tracked his movements. While Rebellin officially claimed to be living in Monaco, the prosecutors claim that he spend most of his time in Galliera Veneta in a house that was registered in the names of his parents-in-law.

In 2011, Il Sole 24 Ore reported that the Italian police found that only 2% of Rebellin's flights landed in Nice and that only 7% of his car journeys took him across the French border. A fruit vendor in Galliera Veneta has admitted that Rebellin and his wife were regular customers and the Italian was also seen training regularly on the local roads. In a search of his house, a USB stick containing a PDF copy of a book entitled “How to Pay Zero Taxes – Fiscal Paradises" was uncovered.

Yesterday Il Gionale di Vicenza reported that the trial which began last week, has been adjourned until April 2014 when the prosecution witnesses will be hears, with the defence presenting its case on July.

For more than a decade, Rebellin was known as one of the best riders for the Ardennes classics and he was the first rider to claim the Ardennes triple in 2004 - a feat that has only been repeated by Philippe Gilbert in 2011. He finished 2nd in the 2008 Olympics road race but in 2009 - days after he had won the Fleche Wallonne for the third time in his career - it was revealed that he had tested positive for CERA on that occasion.

He returned to competition in 2011 with the Miche team and rode for Meridiana Kamen in 2012. This year he stepped up to pro continental level with the Polish CCC team but he has been unable to return to a WorldTour team.

Despite riding for smaller teams, he has proved that he still has what it takes to contend with the best, winning the prestigious Tre Valli Varesine in 2011. This year he has won 4 smaller races but is a regular top 10 finisher in the hardest Italian one-day races. In the Italian championships, he was 3rd behind Ivan Santaromita and Michele Scarponi.

In a recent interview with Cycling Pro, he told that he still hopes to win one of the Ardennes classics in the future. That will, however, require his CCC team to receive an invitation and so far the Polish team has only raced been invited to one race on the WorldTour calendar: the Tour de Pologne.