French endurance cyclist Sofiane Sehili was headed home on Thursday after a Russian court freed him despite finding him guilty of entering the country illegally during his attempt to break a world cycling record.
Sehili was detained in the Far Eastern district of Primorye in September. He had been trying to ride across the Eurasian landmass faster than anyone before him.
His partner Fanny Bensussan told French media last month that Sehili decided to present himself to customs officials, convinced they would let him pass on his bike, but he was arrested instead.
"All he could think about was his sporting achievement," she said. Bensussan has been campaigning for his release since the arrest.
In a post on social media on Thursday she wrote: "Sofiane is coming home." She said she could not wait to see him and that the entire cycling community was celebrating the news.
"I have been extremely well supported over the last two months," she said. She praised the couple’s lawyer in Russia. "She has been under a lot of pressure, often working alone. It could have been worse without her."
Sehili’s case drew attention from cycling fans in France and abroad who have followed his progress on long-distance rides and unsupported challenges.
Roglic among the cycling big names lining up to contest Paris-Nice
Court ruling
A regional court ruled two weeks ago that a lower court decision to keep the 44-year-old in custody was legitimate and well-founded.
But on Thursday, a court in Primorye confirmed that Sehili admitted his guilt and could be released. He was exempted from paying a 50,000-rouble (€530) fine due to the time he had already spent in detention.
A court statement said his passport, a copy of an electronic visa, an e-book, two mobile phones, a video camera, a navigator and a bicycle had been returned to him.
Sehili describes himself as an ultra-endurance racer and adventure cyclist. He set off from near Lisbon on 1 July planning to beat the German rider Jonas Deichmann.
In 2017, the then 29-year-old cycled the 14,331 km route from Cabo da Roca to Vladivostok in 64 days two hours and 26 minutes, verified by Guinness World Records.
During his trek, Sehili often cycled 300km a day and passed through Turkey, Iran, Kazakhstan, Mongolia and China before the odyssey to Vladivostok was interrupted.
Sehili had tried to cross from China into Russia at a border crossing that only allowed trains or coaches over the frontier.
Using either one of those modes of transport would have invalidated his record.
(with newswires)
