The No.1 Ozonys rider Guillaume Dunand had to finish his season early this year, despite a good start (a third place in the French Championship, a fourth in the European Championship, a fourth in the World Cup, seeded third by the UCI, etc.). A spectacular fall in the Antwerp World Cup in August forced him to retire from the competition. He was competing again in the Saint-François Longchamp World Cup the following week but was unable to finish the final after he broke his collarbone (Guillaume Dunand injured). We’re pleased to announce that Guillaume is back on his bike and keener than ever!
Olivier Allamand, a former top level skier (silver medal in the Albertville Olympics in 1992) with a passion for photography, did a photo shoot with the champion to celebrate his comeback.The spot he chose for the shoot is pretty original – an abandoned hotel! The photos are in the same vein as those of Nicolas Vuillermot and Valentin Gaucher (La Plagne 2010, by Olivier Allamand (1/2) & La Plagne 2010, by Olivier Allamand (1/2)) that he sent us last month. Guillaume played his role well, pushing the limits of gravity while Olivier snapped away. We took advantage of the shoot to ask Guillaume a few questions about his fitness and state of mind after his injury and what his plans are for the 2011 season.
Interview:
Hi Guillaume, can you tell us a bit more about this ‘underground’ photo shoot?
Hi Jé’! The shoot took place in an abandoned hotel above the town of Bourg St Maurice in Savoie! I met Olivier in La Plagne this summer and it was he who suggested the location. The hotel is amazing, a bit freaky as it’s not far from falling down… There’s an old swimming pool next door as well. The shoot went well, even if some of the moves were a bit scary! I haven’t been so high up since before I was injured!I’m happy with theresult, the photos are a bit different from the norm and the quality is amazing.
Yeah, the result is magnificent, really impressive! So you’re back? How’s your collarbone?
It’s good, but I’ve lost a lot of upper body strength, especially in my shoulder, so for the moment my riding ability is somewhat lower than it was, but at least I can ride! I’ve been back training for two weeks now, mainly concentrating on ‘re-educating’ my shoulder: weight training, swimming, stretches and a bit of riding, to get back into it... I’ll start doing a bit more ‘classic’ training in about a month, all being well.
How do you think 2011 will go then? You’re the Ozonys team’s No. 1 rider, will you still be flying their flag next season? They’re doing big things at the moment… have you tested the 2011 bikes? Will you be riding the Curve 2 or the Cannibal 2?
I’m still contracted with Ozonys for 2011, I’ll be testing the Curve 2 for the first time at the Roc d’Azur! I’m still not sure which bike I’ll be riding next year, the Curve 2 or the Cannibal 2, it depends on the availability of the bikes and which I like the best… Ozonys are pretty dynamic at the moment, I’m happy with the work that we’ve done since I joined the team, we only move forward and I think that the image, products and results are all going in the right direction.
What are your goals for 2011?
My goals for 2011… first of all to keep enjoying my sport! I want to do as much as I can every day to stay at the top of my game for the comps. A new goal for me is to develop my image and my media impact so that, maybe, one day I can become a pro rider… I’m en route to realising that goal and it’s thanks to guys like you that the sport is developing so quickly!
Thanks Guillaume... We’re glad to hear that you’re back on the bike and so motivated! If we can help with the media stuff, just let us know!
Cheers! See you soon!
Photos:
Guillaume Dunand defies the laws of gravity while Olivier Allamand shoots...
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