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Video: Basque ultracyclist rides 2,800km on turbo trainer to set new Guinness World Record

Julian Sanz spent five days in the saddle to overhaul previous benchmark

Basque cyclist Julián Sanz spent five days in the saddle last week riding 2,800 kilometres to set a new Guinness World Record – but didn’t move an inch, covering a distance equivalent to three-quarters of the route of this year’s Tour de France while cycling using a turbo trainer.

The ultracyclist completed his successful attempt on the record at the BIBE 2014 trade show in Bilbao, averaging around 34 kilometres an hour as he began his ride on Monday afternoon.

Sanz’s average speed fell throughout the week, and by Saturday afternoon when he surpassed the distance of 2,738 kilometres set by the Frenchman Pierre-Michaël Micaletti last January, he was pedalling at 22 kilometres an hour.

On his personal website, Sanz said that Friday was the key day for the record attempt and that his efforts over the opening three days had paid off by giving him a cushion that allowed him to build some recovery time into the schedule in the later stages.

He added that his big target for 2015 will be the Race Across America.

Simon joined road.cc as news editor in 2009 and is now the site’s community editor, acting as a link between the team producing the content and our readers. A law and languages graduate, published translator and former retail analyst, he has reported on issues as diverse as cycling-related court cases, anti-doping investigations, the latest developments in the bike industry and the sport’s biggest races. Now back in London full-time after 15 years living in Oxford and Cambridge, he loves cycling along the Thames but misses having his former riding buddy, Elodie the miniature schnauzer, in the basket in front of him.

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10 comments

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andyp | 9 years ago
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I've done a few 4 hour sessions, but five *days* is just mental.

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cyclingdave70 | 9 years ago
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Think I could only stand 10 minutes on my rollers:
http://youtu.be/gOQM3_QKgt8

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Russell Orgazoid | 9 years ago
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I hate turbos. So boring.
Go to a gym class and weigh up the high street honeys in lovely lycra instead....live a bit. And get fitter.

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surly_by_name | 9 years ago
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I go all numb after about an hour on a turbo trainer. I shudder to think what woudlhave happened after 5 days on the thing.

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antonio | 9 years ago
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Five days, more than impressive, especially when club members can't stand five minutes on one.

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Simon_MacMichael | 9 years ago
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Thanks Ducci, of course it's a turbo trainer - article I first spotted this in was Italian, 'rulli' are rollers but also used for turbo trainer, so it got lodged in my head.

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Shamblesuk | 9 years ago
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Doing on a turbo is still impressive but some shoddy journalism here

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Shamblesuk | 9 years ago
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Doing on a turbo is still impressive but some shoddy journalism here

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Ducci | 9 years ago
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Rollers?

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UncleFred | 9 years ago
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The 2nd to last paragraph could have ended at the word "cushion".

Thats an insane ride.

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