Matthew Riccitello got in the way of INEOS but "in the end we played it perfectly" at Tour de la Provence queen stage
Cycling
The Tour de la Provence moved forward despite the freezing conditions at the summit finish of the Montagne de Lure, and it was America's very own Matthew Riccitello who took the win on what was his first in-race climbing challenge after joining Decathlon CMA CGM Team.
“It couldn’t have gone better. The team kept me in position all day and I’m really happy I could finish it off. This is a great start with the team," Riccitello said in a post-race interview. As the peloton arrived together on the opening day and stage 3 features a flat finish, this Saturday's stage was without a doubt the key stage for the overall classification, even if a sprint was to decide the stage.
Hence, when Carlos Rodríguez attacked the final ascent and Riccitello was able to close down the gap, it became very tactical. The victory was not only for the stage, but also overall classification. Both riders had one of their teammates chasing, but Rodríguez played with Riccitello's bluff.
“In the radio I heard we had two cards to play on the final climb, with Aurélien and me. With the headwind I knew Aurélien had the best punch and he was close, so I stayed on Carlos’ wheel.” Rodríguez didn't force his rival to go through, and so in the final sprint the expected outcome took place.
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The right tactics
"Because he’s fast too but in the end we played it perfectly. I decided to go early and I think that was the right decision — also because Aurélien couldn’t come back anymore," he concluded.
The French team made a bet on the former Israel - Premier Tech rider which is proving to be a strong investment right from the start, as was the case with Tobias Lund Andresen who achieved several victories in Australia. Riccitello was fifth last year at the Vuelta a España and this year he will follow a similar schedule in which he will race plenty stage-races and later on the Spanish Grand Tour only.
Rúben SilvaEditor-in-Chief
A founding contributor to CyclingUpToDate since its launch in January 2022, Ruben Silva has played a central role in shaping the site’s editorial direction and long-term growth. Before joining the project, he built his experience through independent blogging at Echelons Hub and by producing race previews for Ciclismo Internacional, developing a strong analytical voice rooted in daily engagement with professional cycling.
Beyond editorial work, he has been closely involved in the expansion and coordination of CyclingUpToDate’s wider network, helping establish and support sister platforms across multiple languages. This includes ongoing collaboration with CiclismoAlDia (Spanish), CiclismoAtual (Portuguese), WielrennenUpToDate (Dutch), and RadsportAktuell (German), contributing to a shared editorial vision and consistent international coverage.
He also helps oversee editorial governance across the network, setting standards for accuracy and consistency and coordinating updates or corrections when needed.
Originally from the Porto metropolitan area in Portugal, he holds a bachelor’s degree in Geography. His path into cycling journalism was shaped not through formal media training, but through independent reporting, community engagement, and sustained on-the-ground involvement in the sport.
Over the course of his career, he has conducted approximately 100 interviews across road cycling and cyclocross, ranging from one-to-one conversations and online formats to press conferences and on-site pre- and post-race coverage. His interviews include leading riders, team managers, and prominent figures within cycling media: Tadej Pogacar, Jonas Vingegaard, Mathieu van der Poel, Primoz Roglic, Wout van Aert, Joao Almeida and Tom Pidcock; managers like Patrick Lefevere and Joxean Matxin; and YouTube personality Bryan Kennedy (BKXC)...
Within 18 months of launch, he helped grow CyclingUpToDate’s English-language platform into one of the most-read cycling news websites, built entirely from the ground up. As both a professional journalist and lifelong cycling enthusiast, his focus remains on delivering accurate, timely, and well-contextualized coverage.
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