A video has been posted online showing a cyclist adopting a ‘superman’ position to speed past his competitors during a race. The side-on video footage captures the cyclist, in a fluro yellow kit, pedalling at the back of a small group. He then swiftly manoeuvres his legs behind him and lies his stomach flat on the saddle.

The rider, Italian fixed-gear cyclist Michael Guerra, rests his chin while gripping the handlebar in front of him. He then quickly gains pace and zooms past his competitors as they furiously pedal the descent:

After passing the group, the aerodynamic rider freewheels behind a moped. In race scenarios, this moped rider is usually a cameraman; positioned there to take shots of the riders. But, after a double take, this guy immediately shirks his responsibility and responds by manoeuvring himself to copy Guerra.

After zooming past his competitors down the hill, Guerra repositions himself on the saddle as he enters a small town. He then manages to catch up with his pedals and starts pedalling. Pretty insane!

But this isn’t the only time Guerra has whipped out this unusual tactic and it appears both videos were stunts staged for Dafne Fixed, an online fixed-gear bike shop based in Rimini, Italy:

Guerra’s stunts showcase incredible balance and grit. Hurtling down a hill at speeds over 50 mph headfirst is not an easy feat. While he’s not the only rider with this special ability, as Peter Kennaugh proves, he’s one of the few professional cyclists who can also add stuntman to his name.