Heikki Mikkola: the whole story

Heikki Mikkola was born on July 6th, 1945 in Mikkeli, South-Finland. A few years later the Mikkola family (dad Toivo and mum Helvi) moved to Sajaniemi. At an early age Heikki already showed a great interest in some different sports: he participated in redoubt jumping, cross country skiing, basketball, athletics and weight lifting. After studying technical studies he worked as a car mechanic and a year as an armour fitter in military service. Heikki was very young when he started his hobby on a bike. Together with his friend Martti Pesonen (who later was Finnish champion motorcycling on the road) he built springs and long saddles on their bikes. They used those bikes to go racing on a track in the Finnish woods seeking the furthest jumps. After bicycles it was mopeds.

Heikki got his first moped when he was 14, but a few years later he wanted a motor bike. He sold his moped and bought a Ducati with 3 gears. His dad didn’t know about his secret and Heikki kept his motorcycle hidden until his dad found out. Because Heikki didn’t have a driving licence he was forced to bring the Ducati back to the shop owner.

First competition

In the summer of 1964 Martti Pesonen bought a new Husqvarna. Heikki, who had just turned 19, borrowed Martti’s old Greeves and would decide after the race whether he would buy it or not. In the week before the competition in Turku he trained twice. He was very nervous and could hardly sleep the night before the competition.
The race didn’t start very well for Heikki, he missed the first turn and was forced to catch up in a cloud of dust. He finished 6th. He was enthusiastic and the Greeves had a new owner. That season two more races followed where he became third in Hyvinkää and fourth in Heinola. During the spring of 1965 Salo held its first race. Heikki would have finished second after Jorma Järvinen with the juniors, if he hadn’t driven to the paddock a
lap too soon. He became third. Mikkola bought a Husqvarna from Martti Pesonen and won his next race in Kouvola. This motor bike was far more superior compared to the old Greeves. Heikki competed in 18 competitions that season and won 11. His worst result was a fifth place.

1966

In 1966 Heikki Mikkola bought a new bike, another Husqvarna from Martti Pesonen. He rode his first race for the Finnish championship where he had the lead until he broke his wrist in a fall. He didn’t consult a doctor as the next race was only three days later. He became second in spite of riding with heavy pain. The 22-year old Heikki was determined to participate at the Finnish race for the world championship in Hyvinkää. He was the quickest starter in the first series, in front of the reining world champion. For three laps he was able to keep his lead, then he became tired and felt the strong pain in his wrist again. He lost a lot of places and the same happened in the second series. But his debut had certainly made a statement. In 1966 Heikki Mikkola won the Finnish championship in an Enduro-race for juniors. But his wrist wasn’t healing well. Heikki thought his racing career was over and thought about opening a garage with a friend…

1967

During the season 1967 Heikki Mikkola won his first world championship point during the Grand Prix of Finland in Hyvinkää on a 250cc Husqvarna. He finished 8th and 6th in the series and ended up being 6th. Only six competitors managed to get points for the world championships that year. That summer Heikki took part at the world championship for country teams 250cc in Holice. The Finnish team consisted of Heikki, Yyrki Storm (who finished 5th in the world championship 250cc) and Aimo Lehtinen. They became sixth. On their journey home the team took part in the Scandinavian championships that they won.

1968

The Grand Prix of 1968 in Hyvinkää ended up being a Finnish victory: Kalevi Vehkonen was superior on his Husqvarna. The reining world champion Joël Robert finished one minute behind Vehkonen in the second series.
He became the second Fin in the history of motor sport to win a GP. The first was Aarno Erola who won the 250cc in Tikkurilla in 1962. Mikkola finished sixth and seventh in the series and ended up sixth. A week later it was the GP of Sweden in Hedemora. Heikki didn’t have a good start but managed to get to sixth position. In the second series he had a good start and was in second place for a while behind Joël Robert. Unfortunately Robert was forced to give up because his CZ was broken so Heikki won the series with a minute and a half lead. Heikki Mikkola and Husqvarna won their first GP! The track in Hedemora was very tough and it was the first time Heikki Mikkola was on a similar racetrack. He had also invested in new tyres.
Normally the Finns rode with the same tyres all season. Afterwards he realised the tyres had made an incredible difference. The Swedish Husqvarna factory contacted Heikki after the GP and promised him serious reductions for all the spare parts the next season. On his way home Heikki decided to take part in more GP’s from then on. In June of 1968 he married Kaija Hannele Pohjola.

1969

During 1969 Heikki travelled around Europe with Kalevi Vehkonen. Including Belgium: who would have thought then that it was the start of his further career? They were going to take part in all the GP’s that year, but Heikki only managed nine. Injuries were common: in Switserland he lost two front teeth after falling from his bike. By the end of the season he had two false teeth, a painful ankle and a taped middle finger. He ended up fourteenth in ranking. He considered that year an investment for the next season. He needed to improve the motor and his means of travel. So Heikki bought a new Volkswagen van to live in and a trailer for his motorcycles. This again was a further step towards professionalism.

1970

In 1970 his aim was a top-6 place in the world series. The first manche of the GP series was in Sabadell Spain. He started well: after eight series he stood in sixth position. During the summer resting period he rode (and won) a few competitions in the US quite easily. The following GP was in his home town Hyvinkää on August 9th. Heikki was ready and highly motivated.
The Husqvarna factory sent him plenty spare parts. The days leading up to the GP a lot of work went into his motor: at least five times the motor block changed, but still it wasn’t to Heikki’s satisfaction. Even so he won the first series without any real competition. During the second series he took the lead until the cap of his petrol tank became loose. He needed a pit stop to replace it and managed to become second. He also won the GP of Finland, much to the disappointment of the Belgians. There was no stop in him now and Heikki went on to win both the GP’s of Switserland and Austria.
He was kept out of the top-3 in the final series by just one point: Roger DeCoster took the bronze medal with 74 points. Heikki had 73. 1970 was also the year in which Heikki got acquainted with the Meekers family. During the Belgian GP Kalevi Vehkonen visited Georges Meekers. Heikki, ill with flu, stayed in the van, but got invited inside too. When they realised he had a temperature they called for a doctor to come. A year later Georges Meekers became his manager.

1971

At the start of the next season things were going wrong: a few injuries and food poisoning, witch Heikki got during his stay in Poland for the GP (Szcezin). In the next manche the second place was wrongly put to the fourth place by a miscalculation from the jury.
Towards the end of the season Heikki Mikkola knew he stood a chance of being world champion, just like his fellow competitors. ”To win a world championship you must believe that you are better than the other competitors”, he said. He didn’t stand alone: both Husqvarna as CZ got in contact with him. He chose for Husqvarna with whom he signed a three year deal. Heikki moved to Beringen in Belgium and didn’t need his van anymore as he went to ride for a factory. He found a lot of support with the Meekers family that would be of use later on. From now on he had the use of as many spare parts as he needed. His Husqvarna wasn’t a standard factory product. The purpose built bike was a lot faster. He started his season in 1971 where he had finished his last: he rode eight international manches for the GP with excellent results. A Finnish party got going after the Polish GP, where Kalevi won and Mikkola was second. By the end of the East-German GP in Beuern he had taken the lead for the world championship. It was the first time a Fin had managed to do so. But then his luck changed: Suzuki made an enormous progress.
Joël Robert and Sylvain Geboers received better motor bikes that accelerated better and were easier to handle. Suzuki also had one mechanic per bike. Mikkola was very disappointed with the engineers at Husqvarna. They only issued one mechanic for 5 bikes. As well as this Swedish racers like Häkan Andersson received a better treatment. However, Heikki managed to earn a second place in the world championship, just before the GP of Finland in Hyvinkää. The success of the Finnish team was so big that all tickets for the GP sold out in no time at all. Unfortunately the success didn’t last and the Fins were disappointed. Vehkonen was fifth, Mikkola was forced to quit because of a defect in the electronics. So Heikki once again ended up in fourth place.

1972

Heikki told the engineers at Husqvarna that he was not happy with them and they promised to improve. He was granted his personal mechanic Per Olov Persson and moved to the 500cc class. In the meantime Husqvarna built a machine that was quite big and heavy to use during world championship races. Other teams chose to ride the older models, but Heikki was forced to try out all the new ones.
For commercial reasons it was important to use the same engine as was used for production Husqvarna’s. But this also meant that Mikkola had a disadvantage compared to his fellow racers. Roger DeCoster rode far more superior and took the gold medal again, silver went to CZ-rider Paul Friedrichs. Heikki only had one point less than Friedrichs and won his first world championship medal. Heikki barely stood a chance to compete for the silver one, even though he was in second place before the last GP manche, 11 points ahead of Friedrichs. But his motor got drenched with water during the training and it wouldn’t start at the beginning of the GP.
Mikkola was forced to stay behind in the paddock. Another technical defect. Rodney Gould approached Mikkola in 1972 on behalf of Yamaha for the first time. But because he didn’t want to wait too long before signing a new contract, he stayed with Husqvarna…

1973

For the season of 1973 the Husqvarna management asked Mikkola to change to the 250cc class again. After two manches, the 35-year old veteran Adolf Weill (Maico) took the lead, Heikki stood in 5th place. Hakan Andersson started the third race with a new Yamaha. This machine had a complete new suspension. The Belgian engineer Lucien Tilkens had designed a new mono-chock system which Yamaha was prepared to try out.
It was considered the greatest innovation of the last decennia. The result being that Mikkola and his competitors lost a few seconds on the unbeatable Andersson.
The Yamaha racer won 11 world championship qualifiers and had an easy ride to becoming world champion. When his machine didn’t let him down, Mikkola managed to win a stage place, but this rarely happened... Even though Mikkola had won 3 series, he became third in the finals, after Adolf Weill.

1974

In 1974 Husqvarna wanted Mikkola to race back in the 500cc class and he eagerly accepted. This was seen as the class of Queens. Husqvarna’s heavy 360cc machine rode really well. Heikki got injured in February, but got better quite soon en towards the end of March he easily won the International Easter Trophy in Belgium, a two day event. The opening race for the World Championship was in the Austrian Sittendorf and it wasn’t really Heikki’s favourite course. Even so, he won both series. He did the same during the French GP, with Roger DeCoster causing heavy resistance.
Many motor fanatics thought this to be the most exciting race ever. 12 victories in the series were needed for the world title and Heikki had already won 4. Mikkola and DeCoster both won two series in the next two GP’s and were obviously the best of the pack. Husqvarna offered Mikkola a new contract for the next season, but the Fin decided to wait until further down the season thinking he could then negotiate a better deal. But the contest grew more and more grim, Heikki got injured during the German GP in Beuern, but managed to heal during the rest period that followed. But things were’nt going well for RogerDe Coster either. Before the last GP the score in the series stood 9-7 for Mikkola, and 171-163 in the point ranking. Roger DeCoster’s only chance for winning the world title was to win the final two series and even then Heikki would have to end third in both series.
In the first series the Belgian took the lead, with Mikkola following in sixth position but gaining the second place rapidly. Halfway the race DeCoster got unlucky with mechanical trouble and Mikkola realised he was the new world champion! Totally confused and like a first timer he continued the rest of the course. His team mate Bengt Aberg even overtook the virtual world champion, but then had a flat tire and Heikki still won the race. Even the next day it seemed as if the new world champion had his head in the clouds. Shivers ran down his spine at the thought of finally being the world champion. The feeling was indescribable. Honda came knocking with a new contract which held important obligations in the US. He didn’t want those obligations and he signed an new contract with Husqvarna for the next season.

1975

The new season didn’t have a kick off start. There were problems with the Girling shock absorber which where solved by changing them with Hulco’s. But Heikki injured himself during training because the carburettor had problems. They discovered an injury that Heikki had encountered the previous summer. Heikki’s back was placed in a cast, but towards the end of March he was training again in Belgium. The world championship started that year in Switserland, Payerne. Mikkola and DeCoster both won a series in that race. Husqvarna tried out a new Brittish rear suspension, but after twenty minutes or so it lost its effect. That year, Roger DeCoster went on to be world champion with 12 wins, Heikki Mikkola managed to get second place with 5 wins.

1976

In 1976 Heikki once again changed to the 250cc class. The Husqvarna factory needed good publicity for their 250cc motorbike because it was since Torsten Hallman that a Husqvarna driver won the title. Mikkola drove a bike that was the same as those sold to the public, except it being a few kilo’s heavier. For a long time it was Husqvarna’s policy to let the factory motor resemble the Husky’s as much as possible. So that’s why not too many spare parts where used, because that would be noticed too much. Mikkola’s bike weighed 101,5 kg, the factory’s KTM that the Russian Gennadi Moisejev rode only weighed 93 kg. The extra weight was more explainable in the 250cc class because those motorcycles where less powerful.
The Husqvarna’s had less power than their competing brands and also the technical developments didn’t give the results they had hoped for. In spite of all this it seemed that after only five victories Heikki was riding straight to a new title. Then Moisejev anticipated: after eight GP’s Mikkola had the lead with six victories over his five. Husqvarna wasn’t able to accelerate enough, which meant problems starting and in sharp turns, but was very good on long straight patches and faster turns. During the last GP of the season Moisejev could gain the title if he could manage a double
victory and Mikkola wouldn’t end with the first three. Mentally it was a tough battle: there were even rumours circulating that a Russian team was going to ride Mikkola off track. But Moisejev did what he had to and won both series. His Finnish opponent came second and was the first motor crosser ever to win the world title in both the 250cc and 500cc class. He won both national titles too. He had been riding for the Swedish Husqvarna for 12 years of which six as a factory rider. The budget for professional teams was going to be cut down a lot in 1977 and would have a negative influence on the racing team. Many times rumours had it that Mikkola was going to choose for another brand, and many would want to sign a world champion. The flying Fin says: ”Yamaha had been keeping contact since 1972. Because of financial reasons the team didn’t continue after 1976, otherwise I would have chosen to ride for them. I was confident Yamaha could build me a very competitive motorcycle. The team leaders convinced me to look for a good mechanic. It would have to be a European (preferably a Fin), single and willing to travel a lot. It is a great advantage when a cyclist and his mechanic speak the same language. He would also have to be able to communicate well with the representatives of the firm. I already had one man in mind: Heikki Penttilä from my hometown Hyvinkää. The contract was signed in Amsterdam and in December 1976 we flew to Japan to visit the Yamaha race department and to hold a press conference. That took place in the Tokyu hotel in Ginzo, where the Yamaha racing programme was announced. The brand new motor cycle (YMZ400) felt strange during my test drive, because the suspension had been adjusted for a lighter pilot than me. During a bumpy descent I was caught by surprise and fell off. Yamaha offered professional help for all problems and that took some getting used to. At least ten Japanese engineers worked so hard that Hessu (Heikki Penttilä) had a trouble to even get near a motor cycle. At Husqvarna I had been happy having one mechanic. During our stay in Japan the Yamaha engineers worked non-stop to satisfy to all my wishes. Every morning we were allowed to test a better adjusted machine and give our comments. By the evening we could see the result, the same procedure all week long!”

1977

At the start of the new racing season Heikki’s transfer to Yamaha was the talk of the town. ”The suspension of the new Yamaha was a problem in 1977 for a while. The front suspension didn’t live up to its expectation during the GP in Austria, but Hessu managed to fix it before the start of the next race. There were also problems with the mono-suspension in which we did not have any experience with. The Yamaha’s in 1977 weren’t really that good. But the engineers did their best to solve all the problems in time”.
That led to a whole new machine for Mikkola: he had a new engine block system, a new frame and a new suspension, everything except the handlebars were new! The new cycle weighed 3 kg less than the previous model. The Yamaha was very reliable and fast with Heikki as the perfect pilot. He rode a motor that fully lived up to the technical requirements. Nobody could have predicted an easy run that season. On his first race with Yamaha in Hechtel, Belgium, Heikki fell of his bike on January 30th, 1977. He broke his collar bone which meant he was forced to rest a month. He travelled back to Hyvinkää to try and keep a basic level of fitness. His mechanic Penttilä used the spare time to solve the problems with the suspension. A wrong adjusted suspension had caused the accident in the first place he thought. It took him 3 months to solve the problem. Although his prospects didn’t look well, it only took the champion one month to get back on track. He won the renowned Belgian Easter Trophy in Geldenaken and Marche-en-Famenne.
Even during the first GP that year in Austria the suspension was far from perfect, but during the GP in Holland everything seemed fine again. Both Heikki’s returned to Belgium the second week of March. Five more games were ridden before the big championships started. The first GP was a victory for the Suzuki team, the first and the last of the season. Heikki was disappointed in himself (third and fourth), but his comeback went better than expected. During the GP in Holland he won both series. He became the leader in the between score and didn’t give up that position again that season. During the GP of Bielstein in West-Germany Mikkola showed everyone how strong he was: during the second series he was injured in his face. He finished the race second, but was taken to hospital immediately after the race. He had a wound in his eye that needed dressing. Heikki Penttilä took his place on stage.During the world series in 1977 is was important to be in regular condition. The season was a very successful one for Mikkola: he took the lead with 50 points that year leaving DeCoster behind him. During the last GP of the season in Switzerland he was forced to give up because he had an injured wrist. It didn’t affect the outcome of the season because the result had already been obvious in Belgium a few weeks earlier. Heikki won 12 series, the same as DeCoster in 1975. He was second four times, third three times and fourth and fifth once. He had to give up only once. In midseason, after the race in Carlsbad, there were races in Montreal, Canada. It would be the most stressful week of that racing season… Heikki Mikkola and Pierre Karsmaekers both had one motorcycle for these two American games. The bikes were going to be flown over as cargo to Montreal. The serial number had been changed on Karsmaeker’s frame and both bikes were held back at the airport. Yamaha issued a statement, but it was too late. The next cargo flight had already left being fruit and vegetables it was forbidden to take bikes along. Mikkola started to get nervous in Montreal. There were no problems with the competitors. The pressure built up as training became closer. It was already Friday night and all weekend flights were fully booked. They were constantly phoning Los Angeles, Yamaha even booked tickets to fly Heikki’s motor cycle in hold-alls! Eventually they found the right man for the job in Chicago, but he to was held up because the pilots said he was carrying too much excess baggage! Eventually off suitcases were lift out of the plane to make place for the motor cycles. The Yamaha’s reached Montreal airport on Saturday at one p.m., just one hour before the trials were scheduled to start. The airport was located 100 km from the circuit, which meant that Heikki didn’t make the first two trials. The materials arrived at the circuit finally escorted by the police with their sirens on! Heikki Mikkola had had a sleepless night: at two a.m. people from Yamaha had phoned him with the promise that they had arranged a bike for him. ”On Saturday morning we found a bike unworthy to ride at the drivers park. It didn’t look very good, I could have used it for just one lap!”, Heikki said. The Mikkola entourage was very nervous and people were arguing for no apparent reason. It wasn’t the best circumstances to ride. In spite of all that, Heikki managed to win the first series and was third in the second series.Heikko was forced to give up in the first series of the GP in Farleigh Castle, England. But not because of a technical hitch. ”I had made a bad start. When I caught up with DeCoster, I decided to recuperate a bit in his wheel. But Roger fell and I hit his motor cycle. My front brake was damaged and I fell again because my rear brake didn’t function properly during a difficult descent. Then I decided to quit.” The second series was won by Heikki Mikkola. After that competition there was a moth break. Heikki took part in 5 other races and won them all. The championship was going to be contested during the Belgian GP. DeCoster realised his season was over and started to concentrate on next year. Wolsink was very reliable and a regular pilot that season. He scored in every series and hadn’t given up yet. Mikkola didn’t start in Namen to claim the title, but to ensure himself of a good result. That is why he didn’t fight back when DeCoster passed him by in the first series. He had calculated that a second or third place would be enough for him. But Heikki finished second and Wolsink only twelfth. Heikki realised that the word title was up for grabs. During the second series Mikkola gave a fabulous show which surprised everyone. When the gate fell Mikkola did not get off to a good start but when the other pilots braked in the first turn, he passed them all by gaining a 20 mter gap. ”I chose the best line. That was planned. My tactic worked 100%. Even though it was a risk due to the muddy surface. Luckily I managed to stay upright and that determined the rest of the series.” It resulted in the world title! Wolsink fought hard, but fell during one of his attempts to pass. Mikkola won 247 points, Wolsink 184. Even 4 victories in the series wouldn’t be enough for the Dutchman. Mikkola: ”This title came as a surprise, we hadn’t even bought any champagne. So we celebrated with beer!” Roger DeCoster challenged me to make the rest of the season even more interesting. He announced publicly that he would show the new world champion how strong he really was… During the week after the GP in Belgium the title was celebrated in a big way and Heikki’s concentration wasn’t great. Roger’s words kept on racing through his mind. August 14th, 1977. The first heat in the GP of Luxemburg in Ettelbrück didn’t become a success because of an experiment with new tires. The producer of tyres had developed a special tyre for muddy courses and the circumstances seemed perfect. But the curse dried up to quick and Heikki wasn’t able to keep up with the tempo of Aberg or DeCoster. With different tyres Heikki showed what a real champion he was: he won with a lead of 17 seconds before DeCoster and half a minute before Aberg. A Japanese representative from Yamaha followed Mikkola during the whole season and reported all his findings to the engineers. The model for 1978 was based on these findings. By the time they travelled back to Japan the end of 1977, the new prototype was ready and waiting to be tested.

1978

The start for the world championship of 1978 was in Payerne, Switserland. Apart from Namen it is the favourite racecourse of Heikki Mikkola. With a double victory during the series the flying Fin showed everyone that he had had a good winter and was perfectly prepared for the new season.
Brad Lackey, Graham Noyce, Roger DeCoster, Gerrit Wolsink, Jaak Van Velthoven and André Malherbe would be his closest competitors. A week after the Swiss GP the motor cross circus arrived in the Austrian town of Sittendorf. The American Lackey was the best, Heikki only managed a third and a sixth place. He set the record straight in France on April 30th and during the following two GP’s in Denmark and Finland the result was a Finnish walk-over with 4 series wins! Being experienced, cool minded and riding a perfect Yamaha meant that Mikkola ruled over the motor cycling world.
He also won two series in the Belgian town of Namen, under the most horrific weather circumstances. During that competition the world champion showed he could perform amongst any weather conditions. His determination once again proved to be a superior characteristic that lead to another superior victory. This was the first season that Mikkola was really dominating: everything was perfect thanks to the hard work from everybody in the Mikkola-entourage. The silver medal went to Brad Lackey, Roger DeCoster was third.

1979

In the spring of 1979 the 34 year old Heikki Mikkola was struck by a severe knee injury. He had acquired the injury during a preliminary race in the Belgian town of Hoeselt. During a heavy fall he tore the ligaments in his right knee. He was treated by the renowned doctor Derweduwen at the H. Hart Hospital in Mol. After the operation Heikki kept up his condition with special training in Finland. His participation at the first two GP’s in Austria and France were doubtful, but once again his determination won and only six weeks after the fall he started at Sittendorf.
He didn’t win any points. In the French town of Thouars the limping Mikkola did well with a fourth and a third place. Steadily his condition improved and after two stage positions in the Swedish GP he showed himself a worthy champion in Italy with a double range victory. In the American town of Carlsbad Mikkola hurt his knee again but the second series left him in second place. The heat was one of the main reasons he didn’t score any points in Canada. During a fall in the second series he hit his chest, which meant he was not able to start at the German GP. A flat tyre and a fifth place brought a stop to his raid in Farleigh Castle. The Swiss soil finally brought him some luck to the flying Fin.
Two convincing range victories proved the world champion had not given up his battle yet. In the Dutch Markelo Mikkola won two third places, which meant that in the between score for the world championship he only was two points behind a third place.The Belgian GP in Namen, where Mikkola had written motor cycle history, was a disaster for Mikkola. During the first round he made a spectacular fall. The cause was a newly designed front fork that refused to take on its original size once bounced. The fall was so severe that the reining world champion was not able to start at the second series. The flying Fin ended his active motor racing career op august 12th, 1979 in the Luxemburg town of Ettelbrück. A tenth and a fourth place were the final deeds of this quadruple world champion. This season could not have been more worse for Mikkola: injuries din not heal properly and his rivals were more regular. The British Graham Noyce was champion that year, before Wolsink, Malherbe and Lackey. Mikkola still was 5th.

Na 1980

Even though Mikkola was disappointed at the outcome of the 1979 season, he left all possibilities open in winning his fifth world title. A Yamaha team was built around Americans Danny Laporte and Neil Hudson. A job as team manager put aside for the Fin to pass on all his experience to the younger generation. From 1971 to 1979 Mikkola had managed to end with the top five during every world championship. As well as having over 17 years of experience in the MX world. For him it was the ideal way to slowly acquire a new lifestyle. It gave him great satisfaction, certainly when one of his racers won. But when the Yamaha factory teams quit the former world champion was very disappointed. He was allowed to continue his work, but it meant he was forced to move to Japan. That didn’t appeal to the Fin. In 1980 the Mikkola family bought a farm with a big plot of land in the south of Finland. He now bakes bread, grows potatoes, corn and different kinds of vegetables, which he and his wife Kaija sell in their shop on a road between Helsinki and Jyväskulä. It wasn’t that easy to adjust to the quiet life and to the Finnish ways of life, but it suited Heikki fine.
Does Heikki still take an interest in motor cross now? ”I don’t follow it at all any more, even the big championships in my own country pass me by. I lived my life as a professional sportsman for ten years, but that sport can not be my hobby any more. I have many happy memories left of my career, but it has been enough.” Mikkola’s hobbies are hunting, fishing or relaxing in a bungalow at one of the lakes nearby. His physical condition is kept up to date with intensive langlauf trainings. Heikki did take part in a few veteran races, e.g. the Austrian Gaildorf and the Heeserbergen in Lommel, Belgium. That legendary race was won by eternal rival DeCoster. Heikki suffered a breakdown because of a loose handle bar. A faster move from Husqvarna to Yamaha would certainly have meant more world titles, but what’s done is done.
Even today Heikki Mikkola is a popular guest at events that he gets invited to. His figure shows he is still in good shape, a consequence of the good life in Finland. His years spent in Belgium will always remain a special stage in his life.