French cyclist Sofiane Sehili, detained in Primorsky Krai while attempting to cross Eurasia by bicycle, is being held in a pre-trial detention center in the city of Ussuriysk. This was reported to Interfax by Vladimir Naydin, chairman of the regional Public Monitoring Commission (ONK).
The court has ordered his detention until October 4. The ONK learned about the case from media publications. The agency notes that Sehili has not raised any complaints regarding his detention conditions.
“Perhaps the cyclist chose the wrong border crossing point where the e-visa is valid. It is likely our border guards explained to him that he needed to go to another checkpoint, but he apparently decided to proceed through a forested area. Sehili indirectly admitted to breaking the law. He stated: ‘I understand that I violated.’ He even drew a map of his route through the forest,” Naydin explained.
According to the publication Novaya-Evropa, the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs is aware of the situation involving the athlete.
“Our Consulate General in Moscow has contacted the Russian authorities and requested consular protection,” the diplomatic agency stated.
Information about Sofiane Sehili’s detention in Primorye emerged on September 2. He was aiming to set a world record for the fastest crossing of Eurasia by bicycle. Sehili began his journey on July 1, 2025, from Portugal, traveled through Tajikistan, Mongolia, and China, and intended to finish in Vladivostok.
According to 200 Magazine, the cyclist initially attempted to cross the border between China and Russia via the Dongning checkpoint, but Chinese border guards did not allow him to pass, as the crossing was intended exclusively for local residents. He then headed to the Suifenhe crossing, but there, border crossing was permitted only by rail.
Ultimately, he decided to cross the border further south—via a forest trail—and approach the border guards from the Russian side, where he was detained.
Sofiane Sehili left his profession as a documentary filmmaker in 2011 and became passionate about cycling. He has participated in approximately twenty major competitions, winning eleven of them, starting with the Tour Divide—a 4,500-kilometer race from Canada to the Mexican border.
Sehili attempted to surpass the record for crossing Eurasia, set in 2017 by German Jonas Deichmann, who covered 14,331 km in 64 days. “It was the hardest thing I’ve ever done,” Deichmann recalled.