Manuel Poggiali made his motorcycling debut in '97 at the age of 14, and was Italian Champion within the space of a year. Thrust straight into Grand Prix with Aprilia in 1999, the youngster scored points on six occasions in his first season and was snapped up by Derbi the following season. Despite a huge family tragedy he made his first podium appearance in Holland and established his reputation as a title contender for 2001. Manuel lived up to the hype, making 11 podium finishes and winning 3 races on a Gilera to become 125cc World Champion at just 18 years of age. The 'Podge' lost the title to Arnaud Vincent the following year, but immediately bounced back in 2003 by taking the 250cc title in a stunning rookie season in the quarter litre class. Retaining his second crown proved complicated in a crash-marred season, and the San Marinese could only take ninth overall. For 2005, he opted for an audacious move back to the 125cc class with Gilera.