King of the Hill

I was sitting with him in his caravan the evening before the deciding race in Wohlen, Switzerland. Bengt Aberg only needed one single World Championship point to score his first 500cc title the following day. Bengt was calm, relaxed. His wife Lisbeth had prepared a light meal for us, nothing fancy, but good portions of real food. It was raining outside, but that did not bother the champion in waiting.

"When did you start thinking about the world crown, Bengt?" I asked him.
“Contrary to most riders, the world title was not really my top goal for years. It was in France this year that I started to think that I could conquer the world,” said Bengt Aberg modestly with a slight grin on his face.

I thought of another Swiss Grand Prix, three years earlier. It was Bengt's first race outside Sweden and he astonished the world then with his spectacular riding style. Standing on the pegs he let the bike slide around corners: "Aberg has an unbelievable balance, like a well-trained wire walker without a safety net", said one of his competitors at the race. Bengt Aberg is still remembered for his exceptional riding style, where his mastery of the machine is phenomenal by any standards.

The farmer's son was 25 years old when he scored his first World Championship title. Born in Sörbo, Hälsingland, Bengt Aberg is a quiet northerner who conquered the competition in this muddiest and physically demanding motorcycle sport, where it takes guts to balance the act in the dirt. And here, at motocross in Wohlen, it was more muddy with more dirt than most riders had ever experienced before. Some did not even make it up the hills. But Aberg, standing on his Husqvarna pegs, controlled the race and won the day.

“My only worry was my last few laps. Dirt covered the machine, which was 40 kilo heavier than usual. This made me doubt whether it would put up with the strain until the finish line”.

But Bengt did not have to wonder about his wonder bike. The first calibre material took him to the chequered flag and after ten years behind the handlebars, Bengt had fulfilled an ambition. His season plans were to start on the safe side, but winning the opening round in Austria made Bengt quickly change his considerations. “I knew I could put up a good fight”, he laughed, “but then during a long season, anything may happen”.