MOSCOW, Sept 30, 2025 (BSS/AFP) - A Russian court on Tuesday ordered a French cyclist detained during a record-breaking cross-continental trip to be held in jail until at least November 3, state media reported.

Sofiane Sehili, 44, was arrested in early September on suspicion of crossing the Russian border illegally while attempting to complete the fastest endurance cycle trip from Lisbon to Vladivostok.

He had a valid e-visa but allegedly tried to cross the border at a checkpoint only permitted for Russian and Chinese citizens, and then at another where foot crossings are forbidden, a Russian official told AFP.

Russian state news agencies reported a court in the Primorsky Krai region in the Far East extended his pre-trial detention until at least November 3.

He is one of several Westerners to have been detained in Russia since Moscow launched its Ukraine offensive.