Men who mattered - Tarquinio Provini.

Born on May 29, 1933, in a small village called Roveleto, part of the north east Italian town of Cadeo, Tarquinio was the son of Dante, a cycle and motorcycle shop owner, and his wife Erminia.

By the age of 10, he was already a competent rider, and once competition restarted in Italy following the Second World

War, he was impatient to try his hand at racing. At 14, he won a 100cc race on a 50cc moped, but was unable to take part in 'proper' events owing to being too young for a licence of his own. Undaunted, he raced under his uncle Cesare's name, in 1949 on a 125cc MV two-stroke; he won, his deception was discovered, and he was excluded from the results. But the talent was plain to see.

That he was a young man in a hurry was evident at the start, and his whole career, too; his riding style even betrayed his emotion, his all-action aggression leading to lurid moments, with erratic sliding and late braking all part of the show. No one ever accused him of being a stylist. Though he was forever a trier.

By 1951, Tarquinio was of an age where he could begin his racing career proper and so he entered the Giro d'Italia. The big road races were extremely important in Italy, this the most important, run over 2500 miles on open roads, basically being a lap of Italy. But his luck was out on his de but, and he retired. Though his star was now in the ascendancy and three years late, in 1954, he won not only the Giro d'Italia, but also the 125cc Italian championship, on Mondials.

As reward for his hard work, Provini was provided with a 125cc works Mondial for the Italian GP at Monza; he split the MVs of Guido Sala and Carlo Ubbiali, to come second. Then three weeks later it was the last race of the GP season in Spain; Provini won, beating Ubbiali, the first of many duels between the two. It wasn't to be a happy rivalry earlier; the only thing they had in common was a dislike of the other ...

But by 1955, Provini, still only in his 22nd year, was on the GP trail. However, things didn't go to plan; a practice crash at the TT on the 250cc Mondial - his first outing on the bigger bike - and his season was over before it had begun, a great shame, but he was still in Mondial's employ for 1956, scoring a couple of GP places while still enjoying domestic success. His talent had brought him to the attention of MV's Count Agusta; Provini rebuffed the offered deal, and enjoyed the best season of his career to date, showing Agusta what they were missing, as he raced to the 125cc world crown, while finishing second in the 250cc class to team-mate Cecil Sandford. To complete his joy, son, Marzio, was born to Tarquinio and wife Gelmina that year too. There was a second son, Tullio.

The end of the year though - and disaster. Mondial, along with Moto Guzzi and Gilera, withdrew from GP racing, stating that the costs had become prohibitive and when the FIM didn't respond to their plea that the specifications be eased, they quit en masse. Mv; apparently, had been intending to do the same, but decided to continue ...

So the machine to have was an MV and Provini duly signed. It was the start of a turbulent time riding for the Gallarate factory, where Ubbiali had ruled the roost for some time. Ubbiali, senior by four years, was the technically better rider and tactician, but wild man Provini, on the ragged edge, could often beat him by sheer bravado. And when he did, he was delighted, letting Ubbiali know it too.

In two years, they won most things in the 125 and 250cc class between them, but Provini only scooped one world title - the

1959 250cc championship. Then when Count Agusta added a whole raft of new signings for 1960, Provini decamped to Morini, and started the most remarkable and brilliant period of his career.

The under- funded, unfancied 250cc single cylinder fourstroke Morini almost unbelievably took the fight to the fourcylinder Hondas and two-stroke Yamaha twins, the climax being the 1963 season, when the Italian team nearly took the world crown. The 250cc title chase almost ended in ironic glory in Japan - a winner takes all race, a contact breaker spring broke and forced Provini's retirement. Heart-breaking stuff.

Provini left Morini, joining Benelli to race their 250cc four. He redeveloped the machine to his own specifications, winning the Italian 250cc title and the Spanish GP. He was to win two more Italian 250cc titles, in 1965 and 1966, but despite Benelli's best efforts, their multi couldn't quite match the Hondas and the Yamahas, though Provini had his moments, including winning the 1965 250cc Italian GP.

But at the delayed 1966 TT, a bad crash, in which he broke his back, ended Provini's racing career. Though he returned to good health, he didn't race again, instead building up his successful Protar model kit business. Tarquinio Provini • died on January 6, 2005.