Matthew Riccitello is in the midst of a breakthrough Vuelta a España, riding inside the top ten on GC at just 23 years old, but his future lies elsewhere. The American climber will leave Israel-Premier Tech at the end of the season to join Decathlon CMA CGM, signing a multi-year contract with the French WorldTour team, according to WielerFlits.
The move continues Decathlon’s aggressive strengthening strategy. In recent seasons they have added Johannes Staune-Mittet, Felix Gall, and more recently Tour de l’Avenir winner Paul Seixas and fellow French prospect Léo Bisiaux. Riccitello will be part of a long-term project aiming towards a tilt at the Tour de France overall victory by 2028. He joins an incoming transfer class for 2026 that already includes Tiesj Benoot, Olav Kooij, Daan Hoole, Cees Bol, Robbe Ghys, Tobias Lund Andresen and homegrown rider Anthony L’Hote.
Photo Credit: Cor VosRiccitello’s rise has been steady but impressive. His development was disrupted in 2020 when the pandemic wiped out his final junior year, but he was already highly rated – even earning praise from Lance Armstrong. After a quiet U23 debut season with Hagens Berman Axeon, he secured a UAE Team Emirates stagiaire spot in 2022, where his climbing ability turned heads. That same year he won the Istrian Spring Trophy and was quickly snapped up by Israel-Premier Tech.
Since then he has delivered results that underline his potential as a future Grand Tour leader. He was fifth in the 2023 Tour de Suisse, a race often labelled the “fourth Grand Tour”, and has added strong top-ten finishes in the Tour of the Alps and Volta a Catalunya. This year he claimed overall victory at the Sibiu Tour, finished 13th in the Tour de Pologne, and now finds himself mixing it with the very best in Spain. In stage 10 of the Vuelta, he was able to stay with the elite favourites on a summit finish, confirming his progress.
For Decathlon CMA CGM, Riccitello represents both present quality and long-term promise. With his climbing talent, light build of just 54 kilos, and the experience already gained from back-to-back Grand Tours, he looks like a natural addition to the team’s GC ambitions. For Israel-Premier Tech, it is a significant loss, but one that highlights just how far Riccitello’s stock has risen in the space of a few short seasons.
