Headlines
Social media star Fontenoy breaks world record cycling up Eiffel Tower
Published by Global Banking and Finance Review
Posted on October 3, 2025
1 min readLast updated: January 21, 2026
Global Banking and Finance Review
Company
Published by Global Banking and Finance Review
Posted on October 3, 2025
1 min readLast updated: January 21, 2026
Aurelien Fontenoy set a new record cycling up the Eiffel Tower, completing the climb in 12 minutes and 30 seconds without touching the ground.
By Alessandro Parodi
PARIS (Reuters) -Cyclist and social media sensation Aurelien Fontenoy became the fastest athlete ever to climb to the second floor of France's Eiffel Tower on an all-terrain bike, the monument's operator said on Friday.
Fontenoy on Thursday climbed 686 steps of the monument to reach the second-floor platform, the last accessible by stairs, in 12 minutes and 30 seconds, the Societe d'Exploitation de la Tour Eiffel said in a statement.
He broke the previous record by almost seven minutes. In order to claim the title, Fontenoy's feet were not allowed to touch the ground.
"I did not expect to take this little time," Fontenoy said after the feat. The Eiffel Tower "is really a symbol, it is really the monument that I wanted to climb," he added.
As part of his project "The Climb", Fontenoy cycled in 2021 to the top of the 140-metre high Trinity Tower, also in Paris, and this year he climbed Tallinn's TV Tower in Estonia.
(Reporting by Alessandro Parodi and Manuel Ausloos, editing by Ken Ferris)
An all-terrain bike is a type of bicycle designed for riding on various surfaces, including rough, uneven terrain. It typically features wider tires and a sturdy frame to handle off-road conditions.
A world record is the best performance or achievement in a particular category, recognized globally. It is often documented by organizations like Guinness World Records.
The Eiffel Tower is a wrought-iron lattice tower located in Paris, France. It was completed in 1889 and has become a global cultural icon of France and one of the most recognizable structures in the world.
Explore more articles in the Headlines category
