Gatto happy to be second

Young Oscar Gatto of Team Gerolsteiner finished dead last in the Giro d'Italia, his first Grand Tour in his first pro year. "For now, I am only a kitten, but soon I will have my day as a lion," he told Cyclingnews at the time.

The kitten is growing up and showing its claws. Wednesday in the first stage of the Paris-Correze race, he finished second behind Edvald Boasson Hagen of Team Maxbo Bianchi. "Oscar rode a strong race on a difficult course," said Directeur Sportif Christian Wegmann. "That gives us hope for Thursday's stage.

Gatto was part of a 20-man strong group which escaped 60 km into the stage. About 50 km later a six-man group got away into the lead. "Oscar was near the front and reacted great," Wegman said. Only at the end did he give up the lead and let Hagen by him.