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A\u00a0French ultracyclist attempting to\u00a0break the world record for the fastest crossing of\u00a0Eurasia by\u00a0bike has been arrested in\u00a0Vladivostok, Russia, on\u00a0suspicion of\u00a0illegally crossing the border. Sofiane Sehili had set out from Portugal in\u00a0early July hoping to\u00a0complete the journey in\u00a0less than 64 days, but his record attempt has landed him in\u00a0Russian custody. Here\u2019s what we\u00a0know so\u00a0far about his journey and his arrest.<\/p>\n
Authorities in\u00a0Russia\u2019s Vladivostok have arrested French cyclist Sofiane Sehili, who was attempting to\u00a0break the world record for the fastest bicycle crossing of\u00a0Eurasia, the French newspaper Le\u00a0Monde reported<\/a>. Russian state media later confirmed his detention, with a\u00a0source in\u00a0the emergency services telling TASS that Sehili was being held on\u00a0suspicion of\u00a0illegally crossing the border.<\/p>\n Sehili, 44, was once a\u00a0documentary filmmaker but left the profession in\u00a02012 to\u00a0devote himself to\u00a0long-distance cycling. Since then, he\u00a0has competed in\u00a0about 20 ultra-distance races, winning 11 of\u00a0them. Among his victories was the Tour Divide, a\u00a04,500-kilometer (about 2,800 miles) race stretching from Canada to\u00a0Mexico.<\/p>\n In\u00a0mid-June, Sehili wrote on\u00a0Instagram that he\u00a0hoped to\u00a0beat the record set<\/a> in\u00a02017 by\u00a0German cyclist Jonas Deichmann, who completed the ride from Cape Roca in\u00a0Portugal to\u00a0Vladivostok in\u00a064 days, two hours, and 26 minutes \u2014 the fastest crossing of\u00a0Eurasia by\u00a0bike.<\/p>\n On\u00a0July 1, 2025, Sehili set off from Portugal. His Instagram posts show<\/a> that he\u00a0first entered Russia in\u00a0late July, crossing into Chechnya from Georgia, according to<\/a> the Russian outlet Agentstvo. He\u00a0later left Russia through the Astrakhan region and continued his journey across Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, and Mongolia.<\/p>\n In\u00a0China, Le\u00a0Monde reported, Sehili seemed to\u00a0have paused his trip. \u201cTo\u00a0fail so\u00a0close to\u00a0the goal is\u00a0heartbreaking,\u201d he\u00a0said in\u00a0an\u00a0Instagram story. \u201cNow I\u00a0have ten months to\u00a0decide whether I\u00a0want to\u00a0try again\u2026 or\u00a0if\u00a0this will forever remain a\u00a0failure.\u201d On\u00a0September 2, he\u00a0said in\u00a0another story that Russian guards had stopped him at\u00a0the Chinese-Russian border. It\u2019s not clear from his message what happened afterward.<\/p>\n According to\u00a0Le\u00a0Monde, the French consulate is\u00a0trying to\u00a0assist Sehili. Russian authorities have not commented publicly on\u00a0his arrest.<\/p>\n Our only hope is\u00a0you.\u00a0Support Meduza<\/a>\u00a0before it\u2019s too late.