VIDEO. Toulouse. Mountain bike enthusiast in forbidden places, he filmed himself in a disused prison
Through Anthony Assemat
Published on
It’s a crazy gamble that this rider made! Antoni Villoni is renowned for its prowess in mountain biking, during high-flying missions that mark the spirits.
In February 2021, he had distinguished himself by filming himself through the catacombs of Paris for a titanic exploration-expedition. Earlier, in January 2021, he launched himself at full speed by climbing the arch of a bridge in Grenoble (Isere).
A “feat” achieved in December 2021
The young man from the south-east of France, in Cavaillon (Vaucluse), likes to defy prohibitions and has decided to put the cover back. But this time, in Toulouse. His goal : rider in the huge underground passages of the former Saint-Michel prison, located in the eponymous district. Tuesday February 15, 2022, the mountain biker published the video of his exploits on the “Riding Zone” YouTube channel.
The video begins in one of the former cells of the Toulouse prison, closed in October 2009. He then mounts his mount and it is the beginning of an incredible ride in the underground passages of the famous star-shaped building in the Pink City, now disused. The scene took place in December 2021.
Look, it’s just awesome.
Scouting and a making-of video
But Antoni Villoni does not stop there. As a true pro at crossing the red line, he details in a second video how he managed to break into the old prison and penetrate its bowels. An epic adventure that begins in the early morning with accomplices, equipment, a large ladder, ropes to support the mountain bike… and a good dose of intelligence and calm so as not to alert the neighbors of the prison!
The sportsman talks about location scouting, the necessary caulking of certain rooms, his tips and the camera system (Antoni Villoni himself carries out his sessions with a GoPro), for an adventure past on the other side of the walls adjoining the current Castelet prison museum.
“The former Saint-Michel prison lent itself to the exercise”
Antoni Villoni did not choose Toulouse by chance. Charles Déqué, production manager at Riding Zone, who concocted the making-of video, explains to Toulouse News why the mountain biker-videographer has set his sights on the former Saint-Michel prison.
“Antoni made a Tour of France of abandoned prisons to do scouting and he discovered that that of Saint-Michel lent itself well to the exercise. He had already entered there upstream to do scouting. He is aware that it’s illegal but his approach is purely artistic. His goal is to make the best possible videos”.
Since the beginning of his perilous adventures, Antoni Villoni has never had any problems with the police…
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