Nico Terol was born in Alcoy, a small town in the Spanish province of Alicante. He was a hyperactive child who was always up to mischief. He took the stabilisers off his bicycle at the age of three and was quickly off riding on his own, convincing his father and uncle to buy him a motorcycle – a 50cc Malaguti motocross bike – when he turned seven. It was just a bit of fun to him back then and the Terol family set out some markers in a nearby field for Nico and his cousin to ride around.
By the age of ten Nico was taking serious steps towards a future on two wheels as he began to compete in the Fórmula Airtel minibike series, contesting his first race at the Almenara circuit. He was so desperate to do well that he often used to work himself into a state of anxiety before each race and he often crashed during that debut season in 1999, which made racing more of a chore than good fun. However, he was keen to continue and he approached everything in a more relaxed way in 2000, signing up to contest the Fórmula Airtel again but this time on a 'big' bike – a 50cc Aprilia. He contested his first race at Oliva and ended the season as the runner-up in the championship.
His father was his wingman at the races and they used to turn up at circuits together with few resources and used tyres, but with a sack full of dreams. In 2000 he won his first race at Fuente Álamo and his talent caught the attention of his current manager Xavi Pérez, who was running his own team at the time and decided to give him a hand until the end of the season. In 2001 he contested the national edition of the 70cc Copa Bancaja, finishing fourth overall, taking second in the regional series during a season that saw him blossom as a rider.
The following season he announced his arrival on the national stage in the 125cc Copa Bancaja, when he was only denied the title by a mechanical problem. He took six pole positions from seven available, two victories and four other podiums to secure the runner-up spot. In 2003 he was given assistance from the Ricardo Tormo circuit and the father of Sergio Gadea, another Valencian rider and close personal friend of Nico, to compete in the 125cc Spanish Championship – often the final stepping stone to the World Championship. He finished sixteenth overall and fifth in the 125cc Copa Bancaja, which he contested simultaneously. The more Nico developed as a rider the more opportunities came his way and his undoubted talent was not going unnoticed by the big teams. In 2004 he was signed up by Jorge Martínez "Aspar" for another season in the Spanish Championship.
Unsurprisingly the talented youngster made the most of the opportunity put in front of him and he finished the season fourth overall. As a reward for his performances in the national series Gino Borsoi gave him the opportunity to replace the injured Mike Di Meglio in the final round of the 125cc World Championship at Valencia. Nico's home circuit at Cheste was the scene of his first venture onto the international stage and an impressive ride to 23rd place was enough to seal his ticket for a full world tour in 2005.
Nico's first full season with the Derbi Caja Madrid team was a crucial opportunity for him to learn the circuits on the Grand Prix calendar but a mountain bike accident midway through the season interrupted his progress. He missed three races and returned only in time for the final two rounds in Turkey and Valencia. It was a tough year for the 16-year-old, who was forced to learn a new language in order to communicate with his Italian mechanics, as well as travelling the world alone and struggling to adapt to the notoriously difficult Derbi. His attitude was very much that of 'whatever doesn't kill you makes you stronger' and Nico ended the season as a more mature rider and, more importantly, a more mature person.
Over the next two seasons he rode for Derbi Planet (2006) and Derbi Seedorf (2007) and despite building a more effective relationship with his mechanics he could only manage 14th and then 22nd respectively in the final championship standings. Finally, after three years battling to become competitive in the Grand Prix arena his big opportunity arrived in 2008 when he was offered the chance to ride an Aprilila for the Jack and Jones team. With top level material underneath him and top level technical back-up behind him his first podium quickly arrived with a second-place finish at Jerez and a first win soon followed at Indianapolis. He ended the championship in fifth place and, most importantly, he began to feel competitive and had belief in his own potential.
In 2009 Nico remained with the Jack and Jones set-up and it was only a discreet start to the season that cost him the opportunity to fight for the title until the end. He was a consistent frontrunner and finished third overall, earning himself a move to the Bancaja Aspar Team for 2010. It proved to be a winning combination as he took victory in the opening race of the season in Qatar. After fracturing his vertebrae at Montmeló he returned to action stronger than ever, with further wins at Brno and Indianapolis as well as eight second place finishes and three thirds.
Nico, showing the best form of his career, equalled Álvaro Bautista's best season tally of fourteen podiums, set in 2006. He picked up no fewer than 296 points over the course of 2010, only missing out on the title in the final round of the season in Valencia. Finishing runner-up in the championship was no mean feat, as one of the most successful 125cc World Champions ever was crowned in the shape of the prodigious Marc Márquez.
Nico remains cautious about his chances of going one better in 2011 but deep inside he knows this could be his biggest shot at glory. He remains with the Bancaja Aspar Team, who will give him all the means he needs. As well as motorcycle racing he is a big fan of all sports. His mountain bike is his closest training partner and he sticks rigidly to his programme. Methodical, consistent and hard working, nothing he achieves now or in the future will be by way of coincidence.