To ride a bike at full speed in the slipstream of a car or motorcycle. Such was the excitement about these speed records that, at the end of the 19th century, they exercised an enormous fascination over spectators and intrepid drivers alike. After the Frenchman José Meiffret became the first person to surpass 200 kilometres per hour (204.778 km/h) in 1962 behind a Mercedes-Benz 300 SL on a German motorway, the American physician Dr. Allan Abbott, a.k.a. “The Flying Doctor”, raised the bar once again on August 25, 1973: Against the impressive backdrop of the Bonneville Salt Flats in the USA, he reached a speed of 223.466 km/h behind a 1955 Chevrolet.

In 1978, these records also fuelled the ambition of Jean-Claude Rude, a professional track cyclist at the time. The then 23-year-old had dedicated himself to achieving the tremendous speed of 240 km/h on a bicycle and all his energy into pursuing this goal.

An 800-hp Porsche 935 Turbo from the Martini Racing team, with an ingenious roof construction fitted especially for this record attempt, was exactly the right car to serve as pacemaker for the world record bid. A trapezoidal screen spanned the rear of the Porsche to ensure maximum slipstream. Even with this additional structure, the Porsche 935 had sufficient power to achieve the desired speed. A roller along the length of the bumper allowed the front wheel of Jean-Claude Rude’s bike to effectively “stick” to the rear of the Porsche 935, making sure that he stayed right in the slipstream. 

The record attempt got underway at 10:30am on the 23rd of August 1978. Jean-Claude Rude is given a push start by a motorcycle using a lance and can now begin his sprint. Jean-Claude Rude accelerates, pedalling fast and at a speed of 150 km/h, he exits the steep bank on the roller in order to build up to the target speed of 240 km/h on the seven-kilometre stretch to the measuring section. Pescarolo in the 935 is just starting to gradually build up speed, when it happens: Rude loses control of his bike. The rear tubular tyre breaks away from the rim with a jerk, becoming entangled between the wheel and the frame. The wheel locks and the rim flies across the carriageway.

That was the end of the record attempt but the folks involved were extremely relieved that nothing happened to him. There would never be another attempt at the record as Jean-Claude Rude died in a tragic accident the following year. Dutchman Fred Rompelberg currently holds the absolute speed record on a bicycle. Like Allan Abbott, he attempted the record on the Bonneville Flats, and in 1995 achieved a speed of 268.8 kilometres per hour.

Nevertheless, the Porsche 935 Turbo Martini remains one of the most elegant and dynamic pace vehicles in the history of cycling records. The model – minus its rear construction – took the victory in Le Mans in 1979 and won the International Championship for Makes four times in a row.