ɪn hɪz fˈɜːst sˈiːzən æz ɐ pɹəfˈɛʃənəl ɹˈeɪsɚ, hiː əbtˈeɪnd ðə sˈɛkənd pəzˈɪʃən ɪnðə lˈæst stˈeɪdʒ ʌvðə tˈuː θˈaʊzənd sˈɪks dʒˈaɪɹoʊ dɪtˈæliə, fˈɪnɪʃɪŋ sˌʌm sˈɛntɪmˌiːɾɚz bᵻhˌaɪnd ɹˈɑːbɚt fˈɜːstɚ.
In his first season as a professional racer, he obtained the second position in the last stage of the 2006 Giro d'Italia, finishing some centimetres behind Robert Förster.