A French ultracyclist attempting to break the world record for the fastest crossing of Eurasia by bike has been arrested in Vladivostok, Russia, on suspicion of illegally crossing the border. Sofiane Sehili had set out from Portugal in early July hoping to complete the journey in less than 64 days, but his record attempt has landed him in Russian custody. Here’s what we know so far about his journey and his arrest.

Authorities in Russia’s Vladivostok have arrested French cyclist Sofiane Sehili, who was attempting to break the world record for the fastest bicycle crossing of Eurasia, the French newspaper Le Monde reported. Russian state media later confirmed his detention, with a source in the emergency services telling TASS that Sehili was being held on suspicion of illegally crossing the border.

Sehili, 44, was once a documentary filmmaker but left the profession in 2012 to devote himself to long-distance cycling. Since then, he has competed in about 20 ultra-distance races, winning 11 of them. Among his victories was the Tour Divide, a 4,500-kilometer (about 2,800 miles) race stretching from Canada to Mexico.

In mid-June, Sehili wrote on Instagram that he hoped to beat the record set in 2017 by German cyclist Jonas Deichmann, who completed the ride from Cape Roca in Portugal to Vladivostok in 64 days, two hours, and 26 minutes — the fastest crossing of Eurasia by bike.

On July 1, 2025, Sehili set off from Portugal. His Instagram posts show that he first entered Russia in late July, crossing into Chechnya from Georgia, according to the Russian outlet Agentstvo. He later left Russia through the Astrakhan region and continued his journey across Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, and Mongolia.

In China, Le Monde reported, Sehili seemed to have paused his trip. “To fail so close to the goal is heartbreaking,” he said in an Instagram story. “Now I have ten months to decide whether I want to try again… or if this will forever remain a failure.” On September 2, he said in another story that Russian guards had stopped him at the Chinese-Russian border. It’s not clear from his message what happened afterward.

According to Le Monde, the French consulate is trying to assist Sehili. Russian authorities have not commented publicly on his arrest.

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