Skip to main content

Long cycle ride

A 100 year old Frenchman recently set a new world cycling record, pedalling his bicycle 100km in four hours, 17 minutes and achieving an average speed of 23.3km/h at Lyon velodrome. Competing in his first cycle race 86 years ago when he had to lie about his age to enter, he only retired when he reached the age of 89 and worked at an array of jobs including sports instructor and fire fighter, while he also boxed and weighlifted competitively in the past. A keen cyclist, he commented that after he reached the
December 13, 2012 Read time: 2 mins
A 100 year old Frenchman recently set a new world cycling record, pedalling his bicycle 100km in four hours, 17 minutes and achieving an average speed of 23.3km/h at Lyon velodrome. Competing in his first cycle race 86 years ago when he had to lie about his age to enter, he only retired when he reached the age of 89 and worked at an array of jobs including sports instructor and fire fighter, while he also boxed and weighlifted competitively in the past. A keen cyclist, he commented that after he reached the age of 95, he limited his cycle rides to distances of just 100km. The man has faced a barrage of medical tests as doctors try to find out the key to his longevity and is said to have the physique of a healthy 50 year old. He has attributed his health and fitness to moderation in all things, including wine, women and song; however it is not clear whether these will be made available to all for free on the French national health system.

Related Content

  • Volvo CE articulated haulers in Missouri deep
    May 24, 2013
    In southeast of US state Missouri, Volvo Construction Equipment articulated haulers are working in the mines of the Viburnum Trend, an area well known for its rich offering of valuable mineral deposits, including zinc, copper and lead. At 64km long by an average of 152m wide – and in some parts as thick as 30.5m deep – the Viburnum Trend, known locally as the Lead Belt, is one of the most significant bodies of ore in the world. Before mining operations began, the Trend was estimated to contain mineral resou
  • Tackling road safety in India
    February 7, 2012
    Introducing an Indian business leader committed to combating the 'perfect plague' of deaths on the country's roads
  • Napier University and RPS study looks at UK cycle lanes
    January 9, 2015
    A new UK report suggests local authorities should think twice about automatically incorporating cycle lanes in road design. David Arminas reports Environmental and social arguments for getting more people onto bicycles are well known. The theory is the more people cycling, the less traffic congestion and less air pollution from cars. Well-defined cycle lanes can encourage people who might otherwise be too nervous to take to a bicycle. But just how effective are cycle lanes for increasing the safety of
  • Cutting speed to cut crashes and boost safety
    February 10, 2021
    Cutting speed can help cut crashes and boost safety.