Porsche has set more than its fair share of records – of which the new outright Nürburgring lap record is just the latest. But back in 1978, it set out to help someone else set another kind of record.
That someone was Jean-Claude Rude, a Franco-German cyclist. In 1978, he partnered with Porsche in an attempt to reach the fastest speed ever achieved on a bicycle.
To that end, the automaker modified a 935 racer with a special aerodynamic device and bumper that would safely provide Rude with the slipstream he needed.
With the modifications in place and a special gear fitted to Rude’s bike, they set out for Volkswagen’s Ehra-Lessien test track – one of the longest uninterrupted ovals in the world, where Bugatti would later test the Veyron. Behind the wheel was Henri Pescarolo, a French driver who achieved little in Formula One, but had already scored the first three out of four outright victories he would claim in the 24 Hours of Le Mans before starting his own team and becoming a prototype constructor.
Their aim was to beat the 205 km/h (127 mph) record that had been set by José Meiffret over a decade prior. Unfortunately, it didn’t come to pass: Rude blew a tire, putting a damper on the record attempt. His life spared, a subsequent second effort didn’t succeed either. But it makes for an interesting story, and you can hear Porsche and Pescarolo recount it in the video below.
By the way, Pescarolo crashed his Matra on the Mulsanne straight at Le Mans in 1969, leaving his face badly burnt. That, however, didn’t deter him from returning to the cockpit to become one of the most successful drivers in the race’s history. But that’s another story altogether.