Francesco Lasca has followed the unusual pattern for an Italian to turn professional in Spain with the Caja Rural and is gradually establishing himself as one of the best sprinters in the country. After showing great consistency in his second year in the professional ranks, the 25-year-old Italian is looking for more wins in 2014.

Italian cycling may have suffered the loss of several teams but compared to the situation of Spanish cycling, the country has a flourishing cycling scene. In Spain, Movistar and Caja Rural are the only remaining professional teams and the continental scene has almost disappeared.

Nonetheless, Italian sprinter Francesco Lasca decided to leave the many opportunities in his home country to try his hand in Spain when he turned professional in 2012. He signed a contract with Caja Rural and immediately proved that he has the potential to become one of the best sprinters in the country.

While originally playing the role of second sprinter behind established star Manuel Cardoso who has won a number of WorldTour races in the past, Lasca quickly proved that the team had lots of reasons to have confidence in their Italian. In his first year, he won both a stage in the Circuit de Lorraine and the Volta a Portugal and this year he added the Vuelta a la Rioja to his palmares.

Those results were so impressive that the management decided to select Lasca as their sprinter in the Vuelta a Espana, leaving Cardoso on the sideline. Unfortunately, he was hampered by illness in the biggest race of his season but he managed to finish 6th in the uphill sprint on stage 12 and 9th in the final sprint in Madrid.

Those health problems leave him with mixed emotions about his second professional season.

We are quite satisfied, especially with the first half of the season, a little less with the second half as I was affected by a fall in the Tour of Norway where I broke my pelvis," he told Cyclingmole. "But generally speaking it was a good season."

Lasca's only win came in Rioja when he beat Michael Matthews who went on to win two stages of the Vuelta a Espana. He showed great consistency in the sprints but he hopes to be more victorious in the coming year.

"This year I was on the podium 7 times," he said. "I hope that next year they can be transformed into victories. The only time I managed to get on the highest step of the podium was in the Vuelta a Rioja.

"Beating Michael was a great satisfaction and on this occasion I think I’ve proved that it was not a fluke," he added. "After suffering a puncture with 7 km to go, thanks to a fantastic job of my teammates I was able to return to the group with 4 km remaining."

Lasca got his first opportunity to do a grand tour in the Vuelta but the race again left him with mixed emotions.

"La Vuelta was really hard for several reasons," he said. "First of all, you have the fact that for me this was my first Grand Tour and I did not have much experience. Furthermore, I came back from an injury and regaining good condition in competitive racing was not easy at all. Finally, the luck was not on my side. Unfortunately, I got sick a lot in the first week and this impacted the performance."

Lasca's best result came in the uphill sprint on stage 12 which was won by world champion Philippe Gilbert ahead of Edvald Boasson Hagen.

"In the 12th stage I found some good condition even though it was still very unstable," he said. "At best I would have ended in third place if I had not been boxed in with 150 meters to go. I do not think that I would be able to beat Gilbert and Boasson Hagen with that condition."

Lasca is mainly known as a sprinter but he also climbs rather well. He excels at the end of harder races and even though he prefers a flat sprint, he has proved that he can also do well when the road points upwards.

"The best for me are demanding mixed routes with a flat finish or even slightly uphill, depending on my condition," he said.

In the off-season, Lasca has again had some health issues and so his preparation for the coming year has been hampered. Hence, he hesitates when asked to point out his objectives but a debut in the Giro d'Italia may be on the cards as his team is seeking a wildcard invitation for his home tour.

"I still have to establish my calendar," he said. This year I will start the season a little later, as I have to solve a little problem in my hip and back. I will start to race in March."

In 2014, the team has reinforced its lead-out with the signing of Davide Vigano from Lampre-Merida. Time will tell if Lasca will be back at full strength for 2014 and be allowed to pay back the confidence that his team has placed in him.