There are usually not many world records in sports activities which final for greater than 23 years.
Then once more, there are usually not many data you have a look at and assume “Where did someone even get the idea to do that?”
On Friday, a kind of weird data fell when bicycle owner and social media star Aurélien Fontenoy rode his bicycle to the second flooring of the Eiffel Tower, the best platform that may be accessed by stairs.
He did so in 12 minutes and 30 seconds, smashing the earlier record set by Hugues Richard in 2002 by almost seven minutes.
The factor about biking up 686 steps, although, is that you could’t precisely do a lot pedaling.
“For this challenge, I brake my brake, and I just to have to compress my tire because I don’t have suspension or anything, it’s just a rigid bike,” Fontenoy says in an interview with NCS Sports. “So we just have to pump with the brake and jump, jump, jump a lot!”
It has taken a lot preparation, starting with numerous hours coaching in the gymnasium or with a bounce rope, to get so far.
And this isn’t Fontenoy’s first problem – he has additionally conquered different buildings round Paris, in addition to the TV Tower in Tallinn, Estonia.
But, for the Frenchman, the perils of organizing a world record try centered round considered one of Europe’s most well-known landmarks have been equally taxing.
“It’s a challenge that I organized maybe three or four years ago,” he explains. “I started four years ago at the Tour Trinity and I was supposed to go to the Eiffel Tower after. But Covid-19, then the Olympic Games, then building (work) and (re)painting (the tower). So it was a lot of work to organize it!”
The undeniable fact that the try was so lengthy in the making additionally heaped the strain on Fontenoy.
“We had only one chance. The last record was in 2002 and we needed 20 years to make a new challenge here because it’s a lot of work to organize it. So I said I didn’t want to miss it. So yeah, it’s a small stress. Also, when you say to your friend ‘I will try and beat the record,’ and you say it also to your sponsor, everybody is waiting for something from you,” he says.
“When I arrived (at the finish line) I was destroyed because it’s 12 minutes, but 100% (effort) during 12 minutes,” he provides. “I was super happy because, I showed nothing, but, it was a small stress for me to beat this record.”
For Fontenoy, who retired from aggressive mountain bike racing 5 years in the past, these eye-catching world record makes an attempt are about persevering with to problem himself and promote the game he loves.
But there may be additionally a much more sensible cause for doing one thing as loopy as bunny hopping up the Eiffel Tower.
“When you are in the small sports like bike trials, it’s very hard to live with only competitions,” explains the 35-year-old. “So we have to find solutions to make money or to find sponsors.”
It’s a tactic which has paid off – Fontenoy has over a million followers on each TikTok and YouTube, the place he posts problem movies, tutorials and bike critiques.
“So my idea was to make more content creation and (appeal to) a larger public. And it was also a good idea to show what the sport is and do something crazy we haven’t done in the sport,” he says.
“It was a big project for me to say, ‘Okay, we can mix challenge and also social media content.’”
The Frenchman isn’t executed but, both.
“My plan is to climb the biggest towers,” he smiles. “So I’m already in contact with different towers in the world.
“The final point will be to climb the Burj Khalia, the highest tower in the world.”