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Frenchman Robert Marchand set a new world record Wednesday when he cycled 22.547 kilometers (about 14 miles) in an hour — at the age of 105.


Wearing a purple and yellow cycling suit, pink helmet and yellow glasses, Marchand completed 92 laps at the Velodrome National, an indoor track near Paris that's used for elite cycling events. According to The Associated Press, he 

 for the 105-plus age group and received a standing ovation from people in the crowd, who chanted "Robert, Robert" as he rolled to a stop.


Still, he said he could have done better.

"I did not see the sign warning me I had 10 minutes left," Marchand said, according to the AP. "Otherwise I would have gone faster, I would have posted a better time. I'm now waiting for a rival."


For comparison, the U.K.'s Bradley Wiggins rode 54.526 kilometers (about 34 miles) in 2015 and holds the record for the men's hour, the BBC 

.
"I am not here to be champion. I am here to prove that at 105 years old you can still ride a bike," Marchand said, 

His record-breaking ride Wednesday was incredible, but Marchand's entire life has been a series of singular events. The AP has this on his background:

So what's his secret? Marchand's coach and friend Gerard Mistler told the AP it's simple: He eats fruits and vegetables, doesn't smoke, drinks wine only on occasion, goes to bed at 9 p.m. and exercises every day.

Mistler, perhaps cognizant of the cloud of doubt that hovers over impressive cycling performances, told the news service: "If [he] had been doping, he would not be there anymore."

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Laura Wagner

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"I am not here to be champion. I am here to prove that at 105 years old you can still ride a bike," Frenchman Robert Marchand said.

105-year-old cyclist rides 14 miles in an hour en route to a world record

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