A centenarian who is just weeks away from celebrating his 101st birthday has made it in to the record books as the fastest cyclist for his age.

Yahoo Sport reports how Parisian Robert Marchand covered 62 miles by bike, while travelling at an average speed of just over 14.3 mph.

The 100-year-old admitted he has been training every day for months in a bid to ensure he crossed the finish line in under five hours.

Mr Marchand, who claimed he did "better than expected", completed 300 laps of the Velodrome in Lyon in four hours, 17 minutes and 27 seconds.

The pensioner believes his secret to such impressive fitness for his age is the fact he has never smoked, has maintained a healthy weight throughout his life and was formerly a fireman and boxing enthusiast.

Scientists at Inserm public research institute have been so amazed by Mr Marchand's accomplishments that he has been examined every three months for several years in a bid to understand his secret to longevity.