On The Pegs January 2019 - Volume 4 - Issue 1 | Page 108

On The Pegs
P 108
1923 HUSQVARNA TEAM
riders couldn’t touch their bike at all - only fast-eating a meal. Each machine was
plumbed with sealing material and the riders were never permitted to obtain
foreign help while undertaking any necessary tasks. One of the initial obstacles
came at the hill of “Nornberget” that lay outside of Hedemora town. One of my
older colleagues went there to see the Six-Days riders pass through this difficult
section.
“I was surprised to see all the foreigners cope so well with the harsh Swedish
conditions,” he said. We knew that ‘our own’ would be tested to the limit here,
but we were all surprised that the international riders did so well in the inferno of
mud. Going uphill during these demanding conditions was hard. The roads were
so miserable that you thought you were standing in the middle of a recently
ploughed field. Passing through with good speed required determination and
stamina. And everyone seemed to know exactly where to change sides, taking
another furrow to make the most of the race. So, the first day ended in the region
of Dalarna at Rättvik after 320km of riding. The second day was slightly longer
being 378km in length, taking the fast crowd to Karlstad.
Then it was time to go to Norway. On the third day, the riders went 270km to
Kristiania (Oslo) before getting some rest. Outside of the Norwegian capital there
was a hill-climb section of 2,250 meters. Being very steep, it was a decisive mo-