Cyclist and social media star Aurelien Fontenoy has etched his name in the record books by becoming the fastest athlete to ascend to the second floor of France’s iconic Eiffel Tower on an all-terrain bike. The Eiffel Tower’s operator, the Société d’Exploitation de la Tour Eiffel, confirmed that Fontenoy accomplished this remarkable feat on Thursday, climbing 686 steps to reach the second-floor platform in just 12 minutes and 30 seconds—an impressive achievement that shattered the previous record by nearly seven minutes.
To secure his position in the record books, Fontenoy adhered to the strict condition that his feet could not touch the ground during the ascent. “I did not expect to take this little time,” Fontenoy expressed after his exhilarating climb, highlighting the Eiffel Tower as a monumental aspiration. “It is really a symbol; it is really the monument that I wanted to climb,” he added.
This attempt is part of his adventurous project titled “The Climb.” In previous years, Fontenoy showcased his daring spirit by cycling to the summit of the 140-meter high Trinity Tower in Paris in 2021, followed by a successful climb of Tallinn’s TV Tower in Estonia earlier this year.
Fontenoy’s latest accomplishment resonates within the community of athletes striving to push the limits, similar to recent achievements in the realm of mountaineering. Notable figures such as British climber Kenton Cool, who recently summited Mount Everest for the 19th time, reflect the relentless human drive for excellence. Additionally, stories like that of Yolanda Xue Chen, who summited K2, emphasize the pursuit of challenging goals, especially for women in adventurous sports, further underscoring the spirit of determination and resilience that runs through extreme sports.
As individuals like Fontenoy and others continue to break barriers, they serve as radiant examples of ambition in action, inspiring future generations to pursue their dreams, regardless of the challenges they may encounter.