Ángel Nieto

Ángel Nieto
Nationality	Spanish
Grand Prix motorcycle racing career
Active years	1964 - 1986
Teams	Derbi, Morbidelli, Kreidler, Bultaco, Minarelli, Garelli
Grands Prix	186
Championships	50 cc - 1969, 1970, 1972, 1975-1977 125 cc- 1971, 1972, 1979, 1981-1984
Wins	90
Podium finishes	139
Career points	1782
Pole positions	16
Fastest laps	63
First Grand Prix	1964 50 cc Spanish Grand Prix
First win	1969 50 cc German Grand Prix
Last win	1985 80 cc French Grand Prix
Last Grand Prix	1986 80 cc Baden-Württemberg Grand Prix

Ángel Nieto Roldán born January 25, 1947 in Zamora, Spain) was a multi-time Grand Prix motorcycle roadracing World Champion. He is considered a national hero in his Spanish homeland.

He 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.^[1] 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.^[1] He retired in 1986 at the age of 39 with a total of 90 Grand Prix victories and 13 World Championships. His total of 90 Grand Prix victories is third only to the 122 by Giacomo Agostini, and the 100 of Valentino Rossi.^[2]

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 now commentates 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.^[3]

Complete Grand Prix motorcycle racing results ^[2]

Points system from 1964 to 1968:

Points system from 1969 onwards:

(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position; races in italics indicate fastest lap)

Honours

Nieto was in the crowd at the French MotoGP at Le Mans on 18 May 2008, dressed to ride with a special shirt congratulating Valentino Rossi for 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^[4].

External links

• A trip to the Museum Ángel Nieto in Madrid (Spanish)
• Ángel Nieto documentary film

References