US climber Matthew Riccitello to turn pro with Israel-Premier Tech in 2023
The Arizonian has been racing with the team as a stagiaire.
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Young U.S. talent Matthew Riccitello will step up to pro ranks next year after signing with Israel-Premier Tech for 2023.
The 20-year-old from Arizona has been riding with the team in recent weeks as a stagiaire and made his debut with the squad at the Vuelta a Burgos earlier this month. Riccitello impressed in Burgos, where he finished fourth in the youth classification.
He joins Mason Hollyman, Marco Frigo, and Derek Gee in turning pro with Israel-Premier Tech next season.
“It felt good to ride in IPT colors at Burgos. It was nice to get to know Mason Hollyman, Marco Frigo, and the other riders and staff a bit better. The team has been super helpful in getting me set up with new equipment. It’s been a really encouraging and positive environment,” Riccitello said. “I’ve raced pro races before, but never with this high of a field. I struggled with the heat a bit the first days but managed to get it right the last couple days.
“It was a bit surreal finding myself on the wheel of guys like [Vincenzo] Nibali, who I’ve been watching on television since I was little. It was nice having such great support.”
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Riccitello, who has been racing on the Hagens Berman Axeon team this season, is a talented climber and previously finished fourth in the youth category at the 2021 Volta ao Algarve. He won the overall title at the Istrian Sprint Trophy in March of this year, beating promising French rider Alex Baudin to the title.
“Next year, I look forward to working with the riders and staff at IPT to continue my development as a general classification rider. I’ll look to improve on my positioning, descending, climbing, and time trialing as much as possible,” he said.
“I look forward to contributing to the success of the team and helping my teammates as much as I can. I really value the opportunity to learn from some of the best in cycling, like Chris Froome, Mike Woods, and of course, also the directors and mechanics. I’m grateful for the team’s belief in my potential and ability to grow as a rider.”
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Stagiaire Matthew Riccitello will turn pro with IPT in 2023 on a three-year contract!
“I’m grateful for the team’s belief in my potential and ability to grow as a rider.”
Read more 👉 https://t.co/IT5ptA7Fko#YallaIPT pic.twitter.com/5bn7Nap6IB
— Israel – Premier Tech (@IsraelPremTech) August 30, 2022
Israel-Premier Tech is one of several teams locked in a battle to remain at the WorldTour level. With the signing of Riccitello, the team is hoping to bolster its GC hopes for future seasons.
“We are very happy to see Matthew Riccitello join us from next year. He has already impressed us in Burgos when he rode in support of our WorldTour guys and was right up there on the climbs,” general manager Kjell Carlström said.
“Matthew is one of the top up-and-coming riders coming from North America and shows huge potential when it comes to being a general classification rider. At only 20 years old, Matthew has a big career ahead of him and we are very happy to play a role in Matthew’s development in the next years.”