 Born in Formigine, Riccò joined UCI ProTeam in 2006 after two successful seasons as an amateur rider, during which he won the Settimana Bergamasca.Prior to joining the team he tried to become a professional with in 2005 but was not allowed because several blood tests revealed his hematocrit levels exceeded those acceptable.Saunier Duval's sportif director, Mauro Gianetti, suggested he spend a week in the UCI laboratory in Lausanne to prove that his blood values were natural.