Chris Froome has become the first man to cycle non-stop the Eurotunnel

Completed in 1993, the Channel Tunnel is the longest undersea tunnel in the world and connects the southern part of England with northern France.

Eurotunnel

How long is the Channel Tunnel from England to France?

The rail tunnel, known as "Chunnel" for short, is 51km (32 miles) long beneath the English Channel at the Strait of Dover, and runs from Folkestone (on the English side) to Calais in France. It consists of three tunnels: two for rail traffic and a central tunnel for services and security.

Can you drive a car through the Chunnel?

Construction of the tunnel started in 1988 and was completed in 1993. The rail tunnel – the longest undersea tunnel in the world- provides the only permanent link between the island of Great Britain and continental Europe. It’s not possible to drive your car through the tunnel because there are only train tracks. Instead, motorists must drive onto the Eurotunnel Le Shuttle train, which boards at the Channel Tunnel terminals in Folkestone and Calais.

Who was the first man to cycle non-stop the Channel Tunnel?

In 2014, Chris Froome became the first man to cycle non-stop between Folkestone in Kent, England, and Coquelles in the Pas-de-Calais, France. Froome rode through the tunnel at training-pace, completing the 32-mile journey in 55 minutes and reaching 65kmph. Eurotunnel opened its service tunnel to enable the Tour de France winning cyclist to cross the Channel, 100 metres below the waves. Man has been swimming, flying and even driving across the Channel for years. Eurotunnel allowed Froome, Team Sky and support crews from sponsor Jaguar access to the 32-mile service tunnel that acts as maintenance access and emergency exit for the train tunnels. With a cleared run through the service tunnel, Froome made the undersea crossing in less than an hour. The Channel is no stranger to world firsts. In 1875 captain Matthew Webb became the first person to swim its waters while 32 years later Louis Bleriot made the first ever cross-Channel flight. In 1994, Olympic gold medallist Daley Thompson was the first person to walk the Channel, in 1994 again the first Shuttle crossed beneath the waves.
Pic: By Jaguar MENA [CC BY 2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons