In Vladivostok, French cyclist Sofiane Sehili was detained while attempting to set a world record for crossing Eurasia by bicycle. This was reported by the publication Le Monde.
Sehili began his journey in July from Lisbon. He traveled through Tajikistan, Mongolia, and China, intending to finish in Vladivostok. However, on September 2, in his stories (short-term posts), he reported that he had been stopped by customs services at the border between Russia and China.
"Failing so close to the finish is heartbreaking. Now I have ten months to think about whether to try to break the record again… or give up on this idea," the athlete wrote.
According to Le Monde, 44-year-old Frenchman Sofiane Sehili was detained on suspicion of illegal border crossing. The publication L’Equipe specifies that the cyclist attempted to enter Russia twice through two border checkpoints located 200 kilometers apart. Local departments of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the Investigative Committee have not yet commented on the detention situation. The French Consulate is providing the athlete with necessary support.
On his Instagram, Sehili regularly shared details of his journey. His last video was published on September 1—at that time, he was 400 km from Vladivostok and expected to arrive there the next day. The total length of the route was over 17,600 km.