QR 35TH ANNIVERSARY STORY: JIMMY RICCITELLO
Most people familiar with Jimmy Riccitello know him has Ironman’s head referee, keeping the pro field honest in races around the world. But there’s a reason he knows all the rules: he’s was once in their shoes, as a Quintana Roo-sponsored pro.
Apart from being the life of any party, Riccitello was primarily remembered as one of the most versatile pros in racing through the 80s and 90s; a short-distance and middle-distance speedster, as well as XTERRA World Champion in 1996, with a pair of St. Croix Triathlon wins, several Ironman 70.3 victories and even with Ironman racing.
Today he keeps the Ironman pro field in check (and supports his son Matthew as he rises through the pro cycling circuit), but we chat with him as one of Quintana Roo’s most influential athletes, providing feedback on bikes from the Borrego to the Redstone, bikes that helped shape the bikes we see today.
