Evandro Portela has released a video which shows his record-breaking ride from last month when he achieved a draft-assisted speed of 202 kilometres an hour.
The Brazilian made his attempt on his own world record of 184 kilometres per hour on the BR277 road between Curitiba and São José dos Pinhais.
The road was closed for 30 minutes to allow for the record attempt, which saw Portela post the highest draft assisted speed ever achieved by a cyclist on a public road.
He battled a headwind to reach the speed of 50 kilometres per hour ahead of getting into the vacuum created made by a fairing on the rear of the Subaru WRX 4X4 350 HP Turbo car the pacing him.
The video, which includes shots from a helicopter and moto as well as from inside the support car, shows Portela getting up to the magic 200 kilometres per hour mark, before breaking it to the jubilation of all involved.
Afterwards, he said: “It’s a great feeling, a dream come true and a great challenge.
“It wasn’t easy. I faced a headwind of 20 kilometres an hour, which made my progress very difficult.
“When I was at 190 kilometres an hour, I couldn’t see anything, the rear wheel was already in the air, but I managed to control the bike and keep pedalling.”
The highest draft-assisted speed ever achieved on a bicycle is the 268.831 kilometres an hour set at Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah, United States, by Fred Rompelberg of the Netherlands in October 1995.
Simon has been news editor at road.cc since 2009, reporting on 10 editions and counting of pro cycling’s biggest races such as the Tour de France, stories on issues including infrastructure and campaigning, and interviewing some of the biggest names in cycling. A law and languages graduate, published translator and former retail analyst, his background has proved invaluable in reporting on issues as diverse as cycling-related court cases, anti-doping investigations, and the bike industry. He splits his time between London and Cambridge, and loves taking his miniature schnauzer Elodie on adventures in the basket of her Elephant Bike.