Vale: Angel Nieto

Spanish motorcycling giant Angel Nieto has passed away at hospital in Ibiza, succumbing to injuries sustained in a quad bike accident on July 26. The 13-time world champion – whose superstition always referred to his titles as 12+1 – was a MotoGP Legend and a key figure in establishing Spain as a world-beating force in GP motorcycle racing. He was 70 years old.

After remaining in intensive care for a week following the accident, the rider from Zamora’s condition then sadly deteriorated before he passed away on August 3.

Born in Castile and Leon in 1947, the Spaniard would emerge as the leading force in establishing his nation as a motorcycling world power, winning an incredible 90 grands prix and taking 139 podiums. Over almost two decades, Nieto set his name in stone as a true great, competing in and often dominating the 50cc, 80cc and 125cc events and championships he entered.

This dominance and brilliance over 19 years at the top established him as one of the all-time elite – alongside the likes of Giacomo Agostini, Valentino Rossi, Mike Hailwood and Phil Read in the annals of two-wheeled history.

Six 50cc world championships and seven on 125cc machinery also make Nieto the rider to have won the most titles with different manufacturers, as the Spaniard rode for and won on Derbi, Bultaco, Garelli, Minarelli and Kreidler machinery. He also took domestic titles in every conceivable class from 50cc up to 750cc in his native Spain, setting his legend in stone at home as well as on the world stage.

His cavalier charisma and character were a great reflection of the late ’60s and ’70s, with his personality more than matching his achievements on track. Later Nieto was also a team manager, at the helm when Emilio Alzamora won the 125 world championship in 1999 (without winning a race), and became the head of a motorcycling dynasty as family members followed his path into the world of two wheels.

Angel's sons, Pablo and Angel Jr, also followed him into GP racing.