A Polish cyclist conquered the tallest building in Shanghai and is believed to have set a new world record on his bicycle yesterday, jumping up the stairs to the 100th-story observation deck of the Shanghai World Financial Center.

Krystian Herba, 31, overcame 2,754 stairs to reach the 474-meter high observatory of the 492-meter-high building in 1 hour, 21 minutes and 53 seconds.

The 31-year-old athlete from Rzeszow was aiming to break the record he set for the Guinness World Records last year when he hopped up 91 floors and 2,040 stairs at the tallest hotel in the world, the Rose Rayhaan by Rotana in Dubai in the United Arab Emirates.

During his ascent in Shanghai, neither Herba's hands nor feet touched the ground and there was no seat on the bicycle for him to rest.

He said his motivation is "the strength, desire to strive for something, to be better, faster, to overcome not only another record but also weaknesses."

One member of Herba's team ran after him with a camera on his head for documentation and another gave him water, checked his pulse and watched the time.

Herba said he would send the video and other materials to Guinness as soon as he got back to Poland. He said he hoped to get certified soon.

It was the eighth skyscraper Herba had climbed, and he vowed to try to keep pushing the record.

"It is like asking a Himalayan climber why he is going to the mountains if he can simply stay at home," he said.

Herba, who started his unusual hobby in 1995, does acrobatic shows on his bicycle and also works as a physical education teacher.

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