So who else (besides UAE) is actually in shape for the Tour de France? Riccitello and Onley raise their hands

Whether he'll participate in the Tour de France remains uncertain, but Matthew Riccitello has been impressively holding his ground among the top contenders in the Tour of Switzerland. The 22-year-old American of Israel-Premier Tech watched one top climber after another drop back during the mountain stages on Wednesday and Thursday, yet he himself finished strongly in the top ten both times. As a result, he now sits fifth overall and wears the young rider's jersey, with the possibility for more.

Riccitello made his debut as a neo-pro in the 2023 Giro d'Italia, although he didn't make much of an impact there. The American's climbing talent had already emerged last year in races like the Vuelta a San Juan (eighth) and the Tour de l'Avenir (fourth and a stage win in the time trial). This season he finished twelfth in the UAE Tour, but competing with the very best climbers hadn't happened yet in his career.

His fifth place in the standings in Switzerland, 42 seconds behind Egan Bernal in third place, doesn't necessarily come as a surprise to Riccitello himself. "I knew before this race that I had good legs and I'm always motivated for a good result. So I'm not super surprised, but I am very happy that it showed," he told Cycling Pro Net about his fourth-place finish in the stage results.

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Can Riccitello improve in the final days?

Many big names started in the Tour of Switzerland, but Richard Carapaz had to withdraw due to injury, Wilco Kelderman and Cian Uijtdebroeks were not at their best on Thursday, Mattias Skjelmose was a bit off the pace, and riders like Tom Pidcock, Enric Mas and Egan Bernal also have yet to make a strong impression. With UAE-Team Emirates dominating the pack, there seems to be an opportunity. "If we keep going like now, it's going to be a great race," the talented climber says about the last three days in Switzerland. Saturday features an ultra-short climbing test, followed by a tough mountain stage on Saturday and a climbing time trial on Sunday.

Leaving all those big names behind in the fifth stage felt good already. "I felt pretty good all day, and these steep climbs suit me better. Plus, it was a hard day overall, and when everyone else is a bit tired, that helps me. I'm super happy with my performance and climbed as fast as I could. It's a pity that Bernal passed me for third place."

Onley also dreaming big in Switzerland

Alongside Riccitello, another young twenty-something is racing his heart out in Switzerland. Oscar Onley finished sixth on both Wednesday and Thursday, showing consistency unlike many others. "The boys fought hard today to come back and support me after a hard first hour of racing. I was put in a good position and from there it was just down to the legs. I gave it everything and am looking forward to more opportunities in the coming days," the 21-year-old Brit says through the official channels of Team dsm-firmenich PostNL.