Since joining Lampre-Merida, Roberto Ferrari has had difficulties reproducing the kind of results that saw him enter the sprinting elite but today he got close to a WorldTour win when he finished 2nd on the second stage of the Volta a Catalunya. The Italian was left with a bittersweet taste but admitted that stage winner Luka Mezgec had been the strongest.

In late 2012, Roberto Ferrari was signed by Lampre-Merida as one of their lead sprinters but after a difficult first season where he failed to win a single race, he has seen himself drop down the sprint hierarchy. With the signing of Sacha Modolo who has already won four races, Ferrari finds himself in a constant battle to prove to the management that he still deserves to be backed in the sprints.

After a short period of training, Ferrari returns to competition in this week's Volta a Catalunya and he showed fine condition in yesterday's opening stage when he finished 8th in an uphill sprint that didn't suit him too well. Today's flat, wet finish was much better for the fast Italian and he proved that he still deserves support from his team when he took a solid second in the WorldTour race.

"I thought it was a bit too early and then  I hesitated for a split second," he said. "It was not decisive though as Mezgec was unbeatable. The legs feel good, I am fine and I am happy. I think I deserved a result even though second place always leaves a bittersweet taste."

"We did a great job to be more attentive on today's climbs and prepare the sprint for Ferrari," sports director Joxean Fernandez Matxin said. "We do not have many riders to help Robert in the decisive phase of the race but Durasek and Polanc have done their job in a perfect manner.

"In this stage, it was a pity not to have the support from Cattaneo as he slipped to the ground 20 km from the finish, fortunately without major consequences.

"Tomorrow, with the uphill finish of La Molina and the Alto de la Creueta 60 km from the finish line, we'll see the general condition of the team, with Niemiec who seems to be in good shape, and Horner who will use the day as a test to assess the recovery from his tendon problem."

You can read our preview of stage three here and follow our live coverage at 15.15 CET on CyclingQuotes.com/live.