My question regarding this piece was: what were the Italians doing with their record baguette attempts anyway? Shouldn't they be making the 'world's biggest pizza'? It seems so rude and pointless to encroach on another nation's culinary classics.

Spain, as far as I know, tends to stick to 'world's biggest paella' ventures, which is as it should be.

L'Italie, nul points! Vive la France!