A Russian court has decided to keep a French cyclist imprisoned until at least November 3, according to state media.

Sofiane Sehili, 44, was taken into custody in early September on suspicion of illegally crossing the Russian border while pursuing a record-setting endurance cycling journey from Lisbon to Vladivostok.

Although he possessed a valid e-visa, he reportedly attempted to enter Russia at a checkpoint restricted to Russian and Chinese nationals, and subsequently at another location where pedestrian access is prohibited, as stated by a Russian official to AFP.

State news agencies in Russia have indicated that a court in the Primorsky region, located in the Far East, has prolonged his pre-trial detention until at least November 3.

He is among several foreign nationals who have been detained in Russia following the onset of Moscow’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.