DUBAI // If you thought climbing 91 storeys without a lift was difficult, try doing it while riding a 7.1-kilogram bicycle.
Krystian Herba, 31, did so yesterday, and believes he set a world record in the process.
The renowned Polish cyclist climbed the 2,040 steps in one hour, 13 minutes and 41 seconds, well ahead of his anticipated time of one and a half hours.
The event took place at Rose Rayhaan by Rotana Dubai.
If Herba's achievement is confirmed it will be the second world record at the 72-storey hotel, which has been certified by Guinness World Records as the world's tallest hotel and is celebrating its second anniversary.
"I feel really good," Herba said. "This is 18 years of training. Although it took me less than an hour and a half, this is my sports career at its best.
"Today is the first time I am the best in the world when I have my own world record. This is more than I could ever imagine."
Herba will submit his accomplishment to Guinness World Records, saying he has beaten the previous record of 2,008 steps climbed on a bicycle.
It will take about two months before the record is confirmed.
To complete his target, Herba hopped the bicycle over each step, all the way to the 23rd floor. Then he used a lift to go down to the ground floor and immediately began his climb again, this time all the way to the 68th storey and the finish line.
When he reached the finish line, he jumped off the bicycle and did a forward flip in triumph.
More than 50 people from the audience went to the 68th floor to watch him climb the stairs through a live feed. Gerard Gless was among them.
"I heard about the challenge and I came to show support," said Mr Gless, who was visiting from France.
"This weekend, I and a few friends took part in the 10km marathon and we understand how challenging it is what he does."
Several high-profile people from the Polish community also came to show their support.
"I am very proud of what Mr Herba did," said Adam Krzymowski, the Polish ambassador to the UAE. "It is very important for me and the Polish community. I drove all the way from Abu Dhabi just to watch and congratulate him for his efforts."
Herba started his stair-climbing career in 2009, and has climbed six towers. He trained for five months for yesterday's climb and had a couple of training sessions at the hotel before his record-breaking feat.
Herba said he hoped to come back to the UAE for an attempt on the world's tallest building, the Burj Khalifa.
