When I first saw the headline claiming a cyclist rode up all 686 steps of the Eiffel Tower in record time, I thought it must be an error. How could someone ride up without a motorcycle? Not that. Was it an e-bike? Also no. Did they mean he went down instead? Wrong again. CNN really reported exactly what they wrote.
I watched the video online and it is genuinely impressive. Climbing just one set of those stairs would be a challenge, but this cyclist did them all. According to a post from X @LaTourEiffel: “686 steps in 12min30 — that’s the new world record set by @AurelFontenoy!”
🇫🇷 686 marches en 12min30, c’est le nouveau record du monde établi par @AurelFontenoy ! 🏅👏
🌐 686 steps in 12min30 : that’s the new world record set by Aurélien Fontenoy! 🏅👏 pic.twitter.com/eUkBkzevbR
— La tour Eiffel (@LaTourEiffel) October 3, 2025
CNN reports that French cyclist and social media personality Aurélien Fontenoy reached the second floor of the Eiffel Tower, the highest level accessible by stairs, in just 12 minutes and 30 seconds. He beat the previous record from 2002 by almost seven minutes.
“For this challenge, I brake my brake, and I just have to compress my tire because I don’t have suspension or anything, it’s just a rigid bike,” Fontenoy told CNN Sports. “So we just have to pump with the brake and jump, jump, jump a lot!”
Yes, he didn’t pedal. He hopped continuously for 12 minutes straight.
CNN notes that Fontenoy, a retired mountain bike racer, trained for years before the attempt. His preparation included gym workouts and jump rope exercises while dealing with repeated delays caused by COVID, Olympic construction, and tower maintenance.
“We had only one chance,” he said. “The last record was in 2002 and we needed 20 years to make a new challenge here because it’s a lot of work to organize it. So I said I didn’t want to miss it.”
The stunt was more than just a record attempt. With over a million followers on TikTok and YouTube, Fontenoy uses these feats to promote his sport and reach a wider audience.
“When you are in the small sports like bike trials, it’s very hard to live with only competitions,” he told CNN. “So we have to find solutions to make money or to find sponsors.”
The approach is clearly working. His extreme climbs have made him an online sensation, and this latest accomplishment adds another remarkable chapter to his story.
Want to climb it yourself
According to toureiffel.paris, visitors can climb only 674 steps from the ground to the second floor, split into 327 and 347 steps. The topmost section is closed to the public for safety, so anyone wanting that view must use the elevator.
Most people take 15 to 20 minutes per floor, but elite athletes in the Tower’s Vertical Race, a stair-climbing competition, can reach the top’s 1,665 steps in under 10 minutes. Poland’s Piotr Lobodzinski holds the men’s record and Australia’s Suzy Walsham the women’s.
If you plan to visit Paris and want a bit of adventure, consider skipping the elevator and testing your legs on the stairs. Just leave the bike behind.
I have climbed the Eiffel Tower multiple times myself. Once I did it simply to avoid waiting for the elevator, but I never imagined someone could ride or hop up it. Hats off to Aurélien Fontenoy.
