Dubai The frogs are here. And they are taking their participation in next week's Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge very seriously.
"We have the experience and we are serious competitors. So we are certainly not here to make up the numbers," stated Philippe Morbelli, the captain of the Team Desert Frogs.
After dabbling in the sands of the UAE on their bikes, Morbelli and a few of his friends decided to take the challenge to a different level when they came together to form ‘Team Desert Frogs'.
The uniqueness of this team is that all its members are chefs at various star hotels in Dubai literally making them a team with steam!
Morbelli is the executive pastry chef at the Atlantis Palm Jumeirah, while his teammates are Pierrick Cizeron, a chef at the Warehouse at Le Meridien, Dubai Airport and chef Alexandre Treffle, an executive chef at the French Bakery.
A fourth friend from France, Lionel Boutry who works with Campari, is expected to join the trio, while chefs Yvan Rocher, Christophe Sapy double up as support team and Thierry Kremper poses himself in jest as the ‘managing director' of the team.
"It was one of those things when we decided to get this team into form," Treffle said.
"But once we got some backing from the sponsors and we thought we had enough confidence to brave the desert, we decided to just go out there and have some fun too," he added.
Cizeron, perhaps the least experienced of the trio has a modest target. "To finish the rally and to have a good time with friends would be the ideal goal," he said.
"Of course we also have to ensure that all of us return safely and in one piece," he added.
Cizeron started biking in the desert ten years ago and has since then, kept on challenging himself to become a better rider.
"I believe ten years is the right time for me to venture out to an event of this magnitude.
"We started biking at first to try and have some fun among friends. But now things have got pretty serious and we have become more competitive," stated Morbelli.
"As a team we want to finish the rally and also enjoy each other's company while we are having fun," he added. Treffle, who was also part of the team of friends during those early days of biking out in the desert, felt that his time to venture out for a competition has finally come.
The Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge, formerly known as the UAE Desert Challenge since its inception in 1991, will be run from March 27 to April 1.
