Kooij's win in the bag, Decathlon's focus shifts to Seixas and his American lead-out man for the Tourmalet
CyclingWednesday, 08 July 2026 at 23:31
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Follow us on GoogleDecathlon CMA CGM could very well make a huge impact in the Tour de France over the next two days. The French team won the race’s first sprint opportunity in Stage 5 with Olav Kooij, and a day later, the peloton will be riding through the Pyrenees. Will Paul Seixas strike? We asked his lead-out man, American Matthew Riccitello.
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Riccitello, 24, joined Decathlon last winter after making his big breakthrough in the cycling peloton in 2025. The diminutive climber had been holding his own for several years, but his best performances came last season. He won a stage and the overall title at the Sibiu Cycling Tour and finished fifth in the Vuelta a España.
That last achievement, in particular, made Riccitello a sought-after rider on the transfer market, as his contract with Israel-Premier Tech was about to expire. That team fell apart due to various problems and was relaunched as NSN. Riccitello, however, signed a three-year contract with Decathlon CMA CGM, where he was presented as a general classification rider.
He immediately proved himself in his first few months with the team. Riccitello won a stage and the overall classification in the Tour de la Provence, finished sixth in the Algarve, and ninth in Catalonia. After doing a solid job as a domestique for a dominant Seixas in the Basque Country, Riccitello returned to winning ways at the Tour du Jura. Just before the Tour, he finished seventh in the Tour de Suisse.
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Riccitello believes he can be an asset to Seixas at the Tour de France
Riccitello stood opposite IDL Pro Cycling at the start of Stage 5, with his left elbow still bandaged. That turned out to be the result of a crash on Day 3. “But I’m okay. It’s never fun to crash, especially when there’s not much you can do about it. But so far, so good.” He’s also handling the heat well. “Maybe I’m just the kind of rider who can handle it, though it’s never pleasant in this kind of heat.”
Still, these are positive signs for Riccitello, who will have to step up in Stage 6. Riccitello knows that the general classification contenders will be put to the test on the Col d'Aspin and Col du Tourmalet. “I definitely expect a fierce battle between UAE Emirates-XRG and Visma | Lease a Bike. We need to come up with a plan for that. It’s going to be a decisive day.”
Decathlon CMA CGM hopes that Seixas can compete with Tadej Pogačar and Jonas Vingegaard. “Paul is a favorite for the Tour, so that’s how we need to race. We’ll see what happens on the Tourmalet—I’m looking forward to it,” said Riccitello, who is enjoying riding alongside Seixas in what is the first Tour de France for both climbers.
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Paul Seixas
Riccitello is fully focused on helping Seixas and not on his own standings
When Decathlon CMA CGM was on the starting podium for Stage 5 and Seixas was announced, the French crowd went wild. “It’s cool to be riding with such a strong team right from the start of my first Tour de France. There’s so much potential—that’s special. I’m trying to enjoy it, even though there’s a bit more pressure and stress in the Tour. But that’s cool too,” said Riccitello, beaming.
The American emphasized that he is fully dedicated to supporting Seixas, even though he seemed to hang on for a long time during the team time trial on Day 1. Was that for his own general classification? “I mainly stayed with Paul as long as possible to create a draft from behind. Experts have calculated exactly how much that helps. So I certainly wasn’t staying with him with my own general classification in mind.”
So no role as a shadow leader, which means Riccitello can give it his all in the mountains. Where does he hope to find himself among the big names? “It’s the first time I’ll be tackling the Col d’Aspin and the Tourmalet, but of course I’m familiar with both climbs. I’m curious to see what I’m capable of, and I’m confident in my form and my ability to help Paul effectively.”
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Bram van der PloegEditor-in-chief
Bram van der Ploeg (35) is the proud founder of In de Leiderstrui, IDL Pro Cycling's parent site, launched in 2018. Finally, he could create stories about the sport he had followed since childhood. He is the editor-in-chief on paper, but prefers to be with his recorder next to a rider, a team bus, or in the mud at a cyclocross race. Every year, from February to the end of May, Bram follows the entire Italian cycling season, from the Trofeo Laigueglia to the Giro d'Italia, with the grand finale in October in Lombardy. During that time, he lives in Tuscany, where he has since come to call Italy his 'home'.
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Latest Comments
- - How many times has Pog actually worn yellow now? The article hints he’s lost count—anyone got the exact stat?robert6506-07-2026
- - Unreal start to the Tour: two punches in three days. If he’s taking yellow this early, the real game is load management before the first true summit finish.davidm06-07-2026
- - Grandissimo Tadej! Maillot jaune meritato, squadra perfetta oggi.sprocketspiny06-07-2026
- - Not sure I buy the “nothing really tough” description. 3,850m of climbing in that heat is brutal, even if the gradients aren’t HC. Felt a bit dismissive.cadencekingm06-07-2026
- - Pogacar’s humour about the gels was gold. Also, nice to see him credit Del Toro. That Barcelona gesture coming back today was a proper team arc.michael5406-07-2026
- - Quick question: when they say “break got a free pass” by Visma, does that mean Visma just stopped chasing completely? Or is it more like they eased but still controlled the gap?velodromevirtuoso106-07-2026
- - Sorry, but the piece glosses over how Vermeersch shredded the gap. That was the hinge of the stage. Give him more credit than a single line.raceready706-07-2026
- - Two seconds on a 200m kick says it all. Vingegaard looked glued, but not enough punch yet. Heat management + gels every 30 minutes clearly dialed.andrewf06-07-2026
- - What a statement from Pog! Del Toro’s launch was textbook. You could see UAE-XRG had zero interest in gifting the break any hope today.jennifer1906-07-2026
- - ¿Habrá abanicos con ese viento noroeste? Si se parte el pelotón en los llanos antes de Quillan, adiós a muchos sprinters.patriciaw06-07-2026
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