Dubai: Trading their frying pans for two-wheelers, a group of French chefs and their friends have been blazing the desert trail for the past eight years as one of the UAE's most active team of bike enthusiasts.
Calling themselves the "The Desert Frogs", the group regularly participates in some of the biggest motorbike events and races in the region, including the prestigious Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge, which they consider their most anticipated event.
The six-member team, which will be participating in the Super Special Stage category, comprises Philippe Morbelli, product chef of Fauchon (GCC); Pierrick Cizeron, executive chef at Le Méridien, Alexandre Treffle, chief executive of a French bakery; Lionel Boutry, a commercial representative of a French drinks company; Marc Douton, a customer support engineer at Airbus, and Paul Rivet, a technical director at Ski Dubai.
Challenging race
"We are not professional bikers but we hope to have a nice ride and of course arrive safely after five days of long and strong competition. It's a challenging race," said Boutry.
The Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge is one of the world's top cross-country rallies and continually attracts the world's most famous rally drivers and riders.
The challenge is a week-long cross-country endurance rally.
"To participate in the challenge, you need to ride a lot of kilometres," said Treffle.
"For the last three months we also did a lot of gym, sauna and swimming."
To show that they are serious contenders in the Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge, the weekend bikers have put in numerous hours of training in Fossil Rock, Dubai, to perfect their motorbiking skills.
"The real physical preparation we had for the challenge lasted three to four months but we have always been out riding in the desert even in the summer," said Douton, who is a debutant in the Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge.
Advice
The team also encourages other enthusiasts to take their biking activities to the next level and participate in competitions such as the Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge.
For those who are just starting out, Morbelli has some advice.
"Don't try following people who are faster than you because you'll only hurt yourself," he said. "Make your own way, your own speed."
