He made his first start at both the Giro d'Italia and the Tour de France in 2008.[4] In the latter, he was part of the breakaway on the fifteenth stage with three other riders, and was still clear with Simon Gerrans and Egoi Martínez heading into the final kilometre of the stage, an uphill finish to Prato Nevoso in Italy. He was out-sprinted by Gerrans and Martínez, sitting up for a third-place stage finish.[5] He took a further third-place Grand Tour stage finish at the following year's Giro d'Italia, this time as part of a 25-rider breakaway; he was out-sprinted by Michele Scarponi and Félix Cárdenas at the finish in Benevento.[6]
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