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It was a season in which both the 50 cc. and the 125 cc. titles were at stake in the last race. An unforgettable encounter which took place on the Jarama circuit.

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It was the first time the Madrid stadium had ever been sold out. According to the papers there were over 70,000 spectators, some even said that the true figure came closer to 100,000.

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In fact, the Spanish 1971 Gran Prix in which the Jarama circuit was disputed, was the one which went down in history as the start of a new era for Spanish motorcycle racing. Up until that moment the media had never given so much coverage to this sport: televisions all over Europe, radio stations, thousands of official journalists.

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It was the race which summed up the season. For Nieto, the 50 and 125 cc. titles were at stake, and he was up against two rivals of the calibre of Jean de Vries and Barry Sheene, respectively. Hundreds of support banners were in evidence. Never before had Jarama witnessed anything like it. People came from all over Spain, planes came from Holland�. In short, a wave of sports enthusiasm flooded the country. The atmosphere was that of a football �Derby�.

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In circumstances like those, the pressure was overwhelming. Jos� Mar�a Garc�a�s programme, broadcast live for TVE in preparation for the big day, forced Nieto to take refuge in Hotel Cuzco.

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And the great day arrived, the Jarama Circuit. The 50 cc. race began, and the duel between De Vries and Nieto was the main attraction. Nonetheless, on the last bend of the last lap, having overtaken the Dutch driver, Nieto suffered a spectacular fall, causing people to fear for his health. The Spaniard ended up in hospital; meanwhile, the Dutchman, Jean de Vrie, rode to victory and took the title being contested.

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The race manager, Pablo Arranz �Cauca�, lowered the chequered flag and started running alongside the riders. Everything was possible. Nieto�s body was lying inert at the side of the tracks, having completed eleven laps. However, the courage of the rider and that� of the medical team, along with four stitches in the rider�s knee, returned Nieto to the seat of his motorcycle, a Derbi 125. Considering his physical condition, Nieto fans feared the worst: the triumph of Barry Sheene and a British win. The result was a complete success for a euphoric Nieto, and meant that he had won his first 125 cc. World Championship title, following the two 50 cc. titles secured in 1969 and 1970, consecutively.�

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This was how the most disputed season, in which Repsol as a sponsor and the Spanish driver had participated to date, ended.

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