23 years old, but Riccitello races like they used to: “Just to make the bike a bit lighter”

The young American had his breakthrough last year. He won the Sibiu Cycling Tour in Romania (UCI 2.1), helped by a stage win — the first two victories of his pro career. But it was at the Vuelta a España where he truly impressed: Riccitello won the youth classification and finished fifth overall in Madrid.

That form earned him a move to Decathlon CMA CGM, where he is listed as one of the squad’s GC leaders. Later this year, Riccitello is set to return to the Vuelta — the very race in which he climbed so strongly last season. Even more striking: much of it was done largely on feel.

“During races I basically don’t use a power meter or a heart-rate monitor at all,” the American explained on the Unplugged by Matt Stephens podcast. “I don’t look at it to make decisions. After the race, I’ll check it. In training I do look at it, but not during the races.”

Riccitello finished sixth on the penultimate day of the Vuelta on the brutal Bola del Mundo climb — without a power meter, too. “There were quite a few days in the Vuelta where I didn’t even have a power meter on my bike. Just to make the bike a bit lighter. On Bola del Mundo someone asked me how much power I did on that climb. I was like: no idea,” he laughed.

It’s not that Riccitello doesn’t believe in data. “I’m interested in data, and I use it in training. But in races I don’t think it’s very crucial to have those numbers.” For a 23-year-old, it’s a notably old-school approach.

In any case, it’s races like the Vuelta where the pocket climber feels he can develop most. “One of my strengths is that I can handle a lot. That’s why I like Grand Tours the most. The longer the race goes on, the easier it becomes — relatively speaking. After that, it’s about developing that punch so I’m not just able to follow, but can also go myself sometimes. Fifth in the Vuelta was a nice start, but in the coming years I want to take more steps forward.”