Davide Giugliano has called his second place in race two at Laguna Seca 'special' as he defeated some physical and mental barriers which had been hanging over him since his nasty off at the US track 12 months ago.

Last year Giugliano suffered a broken back from a huge high side in race two at Laguna Seca which prematurely ended his World Superbike campaign and led to the Italian fearing his career may have ended due to the physical and mental blocks from the crash.

After a disappointing tumble from race one Giugliano was desperate to make amends in Sunday's race both for the team and for himself to prove his pace around the iconic US circuit.

The Italian bolted to the front in the opening laps but was eventually passed by Sykes despite having the race pace to stay with the Kawasaki rider.

With his Aruba.it Racing Ducati team-mate Chaz Davies in close pursuit Giugliano says he was anxious to make the chequered flag and feels his runner-up finish can act as a turning point from his painful memories of 12 months ago.

"What a fantastic race, I had so much fun but it's been difficult both physically and mentally because it was paramount not to make mistakes while battling against Chaz," Giugliano said. "We've been both fair and I think we made it fun for people on track and at home.

"For me, to score a podium here is special because last year my season was put to an end in Laguna Seca and my career was almost destroyed.

"Race one was tough for the whole team, both Chaz and I crashed out while fighting for the podium with a good pace, but some small adjustments allowed us to make the most of our current potential. Now we'll take a break but we won't stop working to improve."

Giugliano's haul of 20 points moved him back level with Honda's Michael van der Mark for joint-fourth in the World Superbike riders' championship while he matched his career-best result in the series.