Something of a late starter in the world of motorcycling, Arnaud Vincent raced his first event at the age of 21. An extremely quick learner, he rode to the 125 European Championship in 1997 and was taken into Grand Prix by Aprilia. After a year of adaptation Vincent took pole position in the first race of 1999 and took his first win later that season, but technical problems impeded the necessary consistency for a title challenge. Victory in the first race the following year proved to be another false dawn as Vincent finished the season in seventh place, whilst the 2001 season´s highlights included a battle for victory with Toni Elias at Assen and third place at Rio, both in wet conditions. In 2002, his speed and consistency allowed him to beat reigning Champion Manuel Poggiali with five wins and ten podiums, clinching the title in the last round of season, at Valencia. Having joined the new Red Bull KTM team in 2003, the teething problems of the Austrian bike meant he couldn't defend his title and the Frenchman eventually left the team midway though the season. Last year, he endured a crash-marred 250cc debut season with the Equipe GP de France and missed several rounds through injury. He's now set for a new challenge in the quarter litre class with the new Scuderia Fantic Motor GP.