UK cyclist sets motor-paced speed world record

Neil Campbell achieved his goal on a custom-built bike - Copyright REUTERS

By Angela Barnes with AP

Published on 18/08/2019 - 11:01•Updated 19/08/2019 - 08:28

A UK cyclist has set the motor-paced speed world record.

A British cyclist has set the motor-paced speed world record after covering a distance of 174.34 miles (280.57 kilometres) per hour.

Neil Campbell claimed the title on a custom-built bike, which was pulled to speed by a Porsche Cayenne before being released, allowing him to break the record on his own steam.

The record was set on a runway at Elvington Airfield in Yorkshire - and was monitored by independent adjudicators and timekeepers.

Flying Dutchman, Fred Rompelberg, was the previous record holder, reaching 166.9 mph (268.831 kph) in 1995.

Campbell, an architect by day, is no stranger to setting records - he also broke his own European motor-paced record last year, clocking a speed of 149 mph (239.8 kmp).