Ángel Nieto Roldán (25 January 1947 – 3 August 2017) was a multiple Grand Prix motorcycle racing world champion.

He had one of the most successful motorcycle racing careers of all time, with 13 World Championships to his name, by means of several 50cc, 80cc and 125cc titles. He also competed on five occasions in 250cc races, of which he had finished in 5th place.

Motorcycle racing career

Nieto specialized in racing small displacement bikes such as in the 50 cc, 80 cc and 125 cc classes but many fellow racers, including former world champion Barry Sheene consider him among the greatest motorcycle racers of all time. Though he was never successful at the world level racing in the larger displacements, he won Spanish National Championships in the 50 cc, 125 cc, 250 cc, 500 cc and 750 cc classes. He retired in 1986 at the age of 39 with a total of 90 Grand Prix victories and 13 World Championships. Known to be superstitious, he preferred to refer to his championship tally as "12+1". His total of 90 Grand Prix victories is third only to the 122 by Giacomo Agostini, and the 115 of Valentino Rossi.

Later he operated a Grand Prix motorcycle racing team with his son, Ángel Nieto Jr. and Emilio Alzamora, who won the 125 cc title, as riders. He commentated Grand Prix races for Spanish television. There is an Ángel Nieto museum in Madrid that displays some of his trophies and racing memorabilia. The FIM named him a Grand Prix "Legend" in 2000. Nieto attended the 2008 French Grand Prix at the Le Mans Bugatti Circuit on 18 May 2008, dressed to ride with a special shirt congratulating Valentino Rossifor equalling Nieto's 90 wins. Nieto mounted Rossi's bike, and Rossi as a passenger held a flag aloft with "90 + 90", as they took a victory lap.

Nieto on the big screen

A documentary called Ángel Nieto: 12+1, directed by Álvaro Fernández Armero, was released in 2005. The film covers his entire career and a wide array of competitors, cyclists inspired by him and reporters who covered his career contribute their opinions and impressions regarding his fight to achieve and sustain his goal of world champion. The 1973 year, when Nieto raced with the 125 Morbidelli, is also recalled in the documentary Morbidelli – a story of men and fast motorcycles, released in 2014 and directed by Jeffrey Zani and Matthew Gonzales.

Personal life

Ángel Nieto has been living in Ibiza for many years.

On 26 July 2017, Nieto was hit by a car while driving his quad bike in Ibiza. He was taken to a hospital with a head traumawhere he was put into medically-induced coma and underwent surgery; his condition has been called "serious but not critical". On the third of August, his condition significantly worsened after being woken up from his coma. He finally died on 3 August 2017 in Ibiza. He was 70.