Although many media published that Chile managed to break the world record, the reality is that the Chilean human cycle did not exceed that of Russia, since at least 2,620 people were expected to attend.
Saturday, June 27, it was almost 9 a.m., on a freezing morning in the capital. Despite the freezing temperatures, the cyclists did not stay at home. Helmets on their feet and very punctual, they had agreed to meet boys, girls, young people and adults in Plaza Italia cycle together to Parque O’Higgings, where a great challenge awaited them: to break the register of the bike the tallest human in the world
—Wake up neighbours! Wake up neighbours! Cyclists pass, heading for a world record ! shouted the leader of the cicletada with a megaphone, while the bicycles rang their bells and their wheels crossed the streets of Santiago Centro.
And it is that, to beat the Guinness record that Russia set in 2019, when 2,620 people formed a big bike in front of Saint Basil’s Cathedral, they all hoped to have summoned more than 2,700 to have the crown transferred to our continent and, thus, to have one more Chilean recognition to be proud of.
The 2023 Parapan Am Games Preview: An Active City
This is the first time that Chile will host the Parapan Am Games , the largest multidisciplinary international sporting event where athletes from all over the continent will land. For that, Santiago wins a program of the government of Santiago, proposed “to activate the city” and to be the protagonists of a sports festival.
—This activity is created from the preparation of the city for this mega event that we are going to have for the first time in our country and That’s why it was decided to do something symbolic, to show cycling not only as a sport, but also as a sustainable and alternative mobility — explains the director of the movement of furious cyclists, Carolina Oyarzún, to The third.
It was this organization that offered to come to the event by bicycle, an acknowledgment that Nicole Saéz, human development manager of the Regional Corporation of Santiago, appreciated.
—What we are looking for is that those of us who love sports, who love cycling and who love the city, today we can come together to break the Guinness record for the world’s tallest bicycle . The important thing here is the passion for sport and sustainable mobility, so it is important that everyone joins us. Now we are leaving now! – said Saéz to LT before pedaling with the rest of the caravan.
The moment before almost breaking the record
A sea of red T-shirts and caps filled O’Higgings Park. Those who did not arrive by bicycle did so by public transport or on foot. There was excitement, joy and sport. There were so many people that many took it for granted that the record was already in their hands.
Like Aurora Álvarez, a 56-year-old woman from Maipú who came to the site alone from her municipality, but with the same motivation with which she applied as a volunteer for the 2023 Parapan American Games.
“It’s something big, the first time I’m going to experience it and the only thing I want to see is that we have the disc. It’s impressive and unusual!, says the woman with emotion to The third.
Aurora was one of many attendees who applauded the speech of Metropolitan Governor Claudio Orrego at the opening of the event.
—I won’t be calm as governor until I know that an eight-year-old child and an adult over 80 can ride a bike in Santiago calmly and safely. We don’t want any more dead cyclists!
Besides, announced a bike path that could be built if the Alameda-Providencia project starts that would connect Pajaritos to Maipú and Andrés Bello to Las Condes, “the longest cycle path in the whole country”.
We want the public to understand that just as we have built cities where the car has so much space, the time has come to build cities also for those who walk and for those who ride bicycles assured the governor.
Why was the record not broken?
After the speech, Orrego invited all participants go to the land where the architect TM Bravo he traced the figure of the bicycle with white paint which was to seat more than 2,700 people inside to break the world record.
Ricardo Fernández de Rota, executive director of the production company Sexto Sentido – which proposed the Guinness World Record challenge to the government of RM – said LT What, According to the registration on the web which was broadcast from different media, they were expecting 4,000 people, a more than encouraging image to defeat Russia.
The architect’s sketches had already been reviewed by Natalia Ramírez, the World Guinness Records referee who traveled to Chile to be a judge of the feat . The organization had been contacted three weeks ago and told that Chile intended to take up this challenge.
— The organization they have got us to approve a lot of evidence. But the title of the record depends on people’s participation, one of the important evidence is the counting method. They need to exceed the number of 2,620, which is the current number the holder has in Russia, but so far we are doing very well. — assured the representative during a conversation with LT in the previous moments.
With drones hovering over people’s heads, everyone took their place. Some were the wheels, others the saddle, frame and handlebars. And even if they didn’t count as a person, there were also dogs, wearing red shirts and supporting the cause.
The typical “CHI” was heard several times, “the one who doesn’t jump is Russian” and lots of laughter, until finally the official photo was ready . All that remained was to note the countdown and the judge to deliberate on the long-awaited result.
But had he been reached or not? Many media published that yes, that Chile had broken the world record and that there were “over 2,700” participants, but in the RM government’s account he said that succeeded in “breaking the record for the largest human bicycle in Chili ”, not of the world.
—Unfortunately today it was not possible to exceed the number . But we emphasize the passion…” the World Guinness Records referee began announcing the defeat.
“Only” participated 1978 people.
Was it too early for everyone to arrive? Did the cold have an effect? Was there a lack of dissemination? In the TikTok of a cyclist who attended the event and told what it was about the comments of users who would have gone “happy” to complete the 642 people who were missing to form the bike were raining, but most claimed they had no idea the summons existed.
From LT the regional government was asked what was wrong, but so far there was no response.
Source: Latercera
I am David Jack and I have been working in the news industry for over 10 years. As an experienced journalist, I specialize in covering sports news with a focus on golf. My articles have been published by some of the most respected publications in the world including The New York Times and Sports Illustrated.
