The 70-year old succumbed to severe head injuries three days before the race, after his quad-bike was hit by a car the previous week on the Spanish island of Ibiza. He was placed in a medically-induced coma but never regained consciousness.
Nieto was a leader in establishing motorcycle racing in his country. Before retiring at age 39, he won 90 Grand Prix races and appeared on the podium 139 times. In fear of the unlucky number 13, Nieto always referred to his titles as 12+1.
Sombre MotoGP riders spoke of the legend at a press conference in Brno. The reigning champion and current championship leader, Marc Marquez said, “It’s a really sad day for all of the paddock, all the sport and for Spain because he is a great legend.”
Nine-time champion Valentino Rossi, who was a close friend of Nieto, shared a fond memory of the Spaniard, “I remember a holiday in Ibiza, where we were both at the same party. It was five in the morning and I wanted to go home because I was tired, but Nieto wanted to keep me there It’s a great loss for our sport".
The CzechGP finished with three Spanish riders on the podium, Marquez taking the victory, followed by teammate Dani Pedrosa and Yamaha-mounted Maverick Vinales.
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