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. Often compared to Valentino Rossi, the elegant youngster will defend his title in 2002 and is widely tipped to progress to the top class in the future.