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Manuel Poggiali

Manuel Poggiali
SM001-04.jpg
Poggiali on a 2004 stamp of San Marino
Nationality San Marino
Motorcycle racing career statistics
Grand Prix motorcycle racing
Active years 19982006, 2008
First race 1998 125cc Imola Grand Prix
Last race 2008 250cc Czech Republic Grand Prix
First win 2001 125cc French Grand Prix
Last win 2004 250cc Brazilian Grand Prix
Team(s) Gilera, KTM, Aprilia, Derbi
Championships 125cc: 2001
250cc: 2003
Starts Wins Podiums Poles F. laps Points
131 12 35 11 7 1111

Manuel Poggiali (Italian pronunciation: [ˈmanuel podˈdʒali]; born February 14, 1983) is a Grand Prix motorcycle road racing World Champion from San Marino. He was the 2001 125cc World Champion, and the 2003 250cc World Champion. He scored 12 race wins, 11 pole positions, and 35 podium finishes. He often struggled with motivation and the mental side of racing, and this contributed to his early retirement from the sport.

Poggiali began racing Minibikes in 1994, and made his first Grand Prix starts in 1998, also winning the Italian 125cc Championship that year. He went into the 125cc World Championship full-time in 1999, and showed promise over the next two years, scoring a first podium at Assen in 2000. In 2001 he improved to win the title on a Gilera. He remained in the class in 2002, scoring 7 podiums in the first 8 races but failing to defend his title, losing out to Arnaud Vincent.

For 2003 he moved up to 250s, and followed Freddie Spencer and Tetsuya Harada in winning the title at his first attempt, including victories in the season's first two races. He had a disappointing 2004 however, finishing only 9th overall with just three podium results.


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