Gabor Talmacsi- 2007 125cc World Champion Biography – Sunday 4th November 125cc Gabor Talmacsi started riding motorcycles aged four in a mini-bike school run by his father. The Hungarian made his national 125cc championship debut ten years later, before moving up to the European Championship. A wildcard ride at Brno in 2000, where he finished 20th, led to a full time ride with Racing Service in the 125cc World Championship the following year. With this Talmacsi became the first Hungarian in 20 years to ride a complete season in Grands Prix. Talmacsi rode for a variety of Honda teams before moving to Aprilia machinery in 2003 with the Exalt Cycle outfit, with whom he took 14th in the overall standings. After a tough few seasons in the middle of the 125cc field, the ex-boxer made a dramatic improvement after moving to KTM for 2005. His first podium at the maiden Chinese Grand Prix was a sign of things to come that year, and Talmacsi took his debut victory two races later at Mugello. He followed the triumph up with two further wins in Holland and Qatar, eventually sealing third in the championship standings. Talmacsi returned to Honda in 2006 with the Humangest satellite team, and by his now high standards he had a disappointing year. His best result was a third at Brno, the scene of his Grand Prix debut six years earlier. His performances last season did, however, impress Jorge Martinez ‘Aspar’, who signed him up for a ride with his three rider 125cc squadron with a strong package. Talmacsi immediately justified his addition to the team, taking pole position at his first race for the Aprilia team in Qatar. He battled for victory with team-mate Hector Faubel in that race, in a sign of things to come for the course of the season. Five pole positions and three victories contributed to the Hungarian finally being able to lift the title at the last race of the year in Valencia, finishing second behind Faubel. Birth date: 28/05/1981 (26 years) Birth place: Budapest, HUN First Grand Prix: CZE 200 – 125cc First Pole Position: JPN 2005 – 125cc First Podium: CHN 2005 – 125cc First GP Victory: ITA 2005 – 125cc Grand Prix Starts: 113 Grand Prix Victories: 6 Podiums: 16 Pole Positions: 6 World Championship Win: 1 – 2007 125cc Total Points 2007: 282 *all data correct at 4/11/2007 MotoGP Career – 2000: 125cc World Championship, Honda 1 start – 2001: 125cc World Championship, 18th position, Honda – 16 starts, 34 points – 2002: 125cc World Championship, 22nd position, Honda/Italjet – 15 starts, 20 points – 2003: 125cc World Championship, 14th position, Aprilia – 16 starts, 70 points – 2004: 125cc World Championship, 17th position, Malaguti – 16 starts, 43 points – 2005: 125cc World Championship, 3rd position, KTM – 16 starts, 198 points – 2006: 125cc World Championship, 7th position, Honda – 16 starts, 119 points – 2007: 125cc World Championship, 1st position, Aprilia – 17 starts, 282 points Some facts about Talmacsi’s achievement “¢ Gabor Talmacsi is the first Hungarian ever to win a motorcycle Grand Prix world title in any class. “¢ Talmacsi has also had more Grand Prix wins than any other Hungarian rider with six victories all in the 125cc class. Janos Drapal is the only other Hungarian rider to have had Grand Prix success with four wins (1x 250cc, 3x 350cc). “¢ Talmacsi is the seventh Aprilia rider to win the 125cc title, joining: Alessandro Gramigni (1992), Kazuto Sakata (1994 and 1998), Valentino Rossi (1997), Roberto Locatelli (2000), Arnaud Vincent (2002) and Alvaro Bautista (2006). “¢ On his way to winning the title Gabor Talmacsi has had three victories, ten podium finishes, five pole positions and fourteen front row starts. “¢ Talmacsi has equalled the record of sixteen points scoring finishes in a single season previously achieved by Arnaud Vincent in 2002 and Alvaro Bautista last year.