TikTok Star Sets New World Record Cycling Up Eiffel Tower in 12½ Minutes

Social media and cycling sensation Aurelien Fontenoy has smashed a daring world record by riding his all-terrain bike up 686 steps of the Eiffel Tower, reaching the second floor in just 12 minutes 30 seconds — without ever letting his feet touch the ground. The feat, confirmed by the Eiffel Tower operator, beats the previous mark by nearly seven minutes. 

Fontenoy’s climb is part of his ongoing project “The Climb”, in which he challenges iconic structures. Past stunts include scaling Paris’s Trinity Tower in 2021 and Estonia’s TV Tower earlier this year.  After completing his Eiffel Tower ascent, he admitted he was surprised at how fast he finished, calling the monument symbolic to his ambitions. 

He prepared rigorously: combining strength training, conditioning, and stair climbing practice. In interviews, he described riding on a rigid bike (with no suspension), using micro “jumps” and brake compression techniques to climb steps.  During the climb, he had just one shot — no mistakes allowed. “We had only one chance,” he said, reflecting on delays over the years due to COVID, repainting works, and bureaucratic hurdles. 

Fontenoy says he retired from competitive mountain biking years ago and now merges athletic challenges with content creation. With strong followings on TikTok and YouTube, his stunts bring visibility to cycling and extreme athletic art.  He also says his next target might be scaling more of the world’s tallest towers, with the Burj Khalifa among his goals.