tag: American Racing

Riccitello Battles for White⁣ Jersey⁢ at Vuelta Amidst ‍Protest Fallout

Madrid,Spain – American rider Matthew Riccitello remains firmly in contention ⁤for the white ‍jersey at the Vuelta a España,despite a chaotic week marked ‌by protests and challenging stages. The 21-year-old IPT rider is locked in a tight battle with Giulio Pellizzari of Red Bull-bora-Hansgrohe,⁢ with only 32 seconds separating the two as the race enters its final week. Riccitello is also aiming for a top-10 overall finish ‌in the ​general classification (GC).

Riccitello’s pursuit of the vuelta’s best ⁣young rider honors comes as he enjoys ⁢a breakout⁤ season, including his ​first professional wins ‍in Europe at the Sibiu Tour in July, where he secured both a stage win and the overall⁤ GC ⁤title. While prioritizing a high GC placing,Riccitello acknowledges the meaning of the white jersey.⁣ “For sure it’s something on my mind,” he said. “The priority is just​ finishing as high up‍ on GC as possible, but the white jersey is definitely something that I want.”

Pellizzari presents a formidable challenge, ​having ⁣finished sixth overall at the ⁣Giro d’Italia, ⁢though he lost the white jersey there to Del Toro. Riccitello believes‌ Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe’s focus on Jai Hindley could potentially create an opportunity. “He is a really ​strong rider, so⁢ it’s not going to be easy,” Riccitello stated. “The white jersey is ​definitely his goal‌ as⁢ well. He’s smart, and⁤ he will definitely sacrifice to help [Jai] Hindley, but I‍ don’t think he will​ empty himself entirely. he wants the white jersey too.”

Looking ahead, Riccitello anticipates a competitive final week, with both ⁤he and Pellizzari racing aggressively to achieve their respective goals.⁣ He also expressed confidence in his ‍continued ‌development, stating, “I’m still young and ​I feel like I have room to improve every year. I ⁤don’t think‌ it’s out of reach,⁤ so I hope‌ to keep getting ⁢better every year. If I can keep getting better every year, hopefully that puts me in a place to be up there⁣ with those guys.”

Riccitello has been linked to a potential ‍move to Decathlon for 2026 but declined to comment on his future team.‌ He will forgo the road world championships‌ in ⁢Rwanda to‍ focus on Italian fall classics at the end of ‌the season, aiming to conclude his third year with IPT​ on a positive note.”It’s ⁢hard to put a number on it [GC] but it would​ be nice to finish with the white jersey if I can,” ‌he said. “if I can have a better third week than⁤ the first two weeks, ​I’ll be really happy.”