Chefs Tool Up To Showcase Biker Skills At Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge

Three of the UAE’s leading chefs are to swap their aprons for bikers’ leathers for this year’s Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge as separate but related entries.

 

The Frenchmen are great friends who share a passion for cooking and biking, a combination that has brought them together for this year’s event. 

 

Chef Phillipe Morbelli, Chef Pierrick Cizeron and Chef Alexandre Treffle will hit the 2,000 kilometre route on purpose-built bikes competing against each other, while nurturing solidarity under the joint banner of Team Frog in light-hearted recognition to their French heritage.

 

Morbelli said: "We are ready to lock horns as we brave the somewhat gruelling desert terrain of Abu Dhabi’s Western Region. We three have been riding together for some six years and we are now seasoned to perfection, ready to test our mettle in the Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge 2010.”

 

Atlantis’ Morbelli is no stranger to the cross country rally and this year marks his fifth entry after a gap of three years. Meanwhile, Le Meridien Chef’s Cizeron, alongside Chef Treffle, executive chef at the French Bakery, are readying to battle the dunes of the Empty Quarter for the first time. 

 

Team Frog is joined by a fourth, non-kitchen member, Campari’s Lionel Boutry. Meanwhile, chefs Yvan Rocher, Christophe Sapy and Thierry Kremper triple up as the Frog’s support brigade.

 

“Our passion is serious. As we gathered hours upon hours of biking experience across the Empty Quarter in conditions that are as hot as a pizza oven, we have made the shift from just biking for fun among friends to rising to this challenge with gusto. We are very serious competitors,” said Chef Alex.

 

Cizeron started biking ten years ago when he came to the UAE. “I believe it is high time that  I took my biking ‘hobby’ to another level and what better testing ground than home ground in the internationally-recognised Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge”, said Cizeron, chef at the Warehouse.

 

The six-day competitive section of the cross-country motor sport spectacular is organised by the Automobile and Touring Club of the UAE (ATCUAE) with the full backing of Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority.

Once again the event will be the season-opening round of both the FIA Cross Country Rally World Cup and the FIM Cross Country Rallies World Championship. 

 

The Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge has traditionally attracted a host of partners, and in 2010 these include Nissan, ADNOC, Al Ain Water, Crowne Plaza Yas Island, Explorer, FedEx, Tag Heuer and Thuraya.

 

Further details, including event technical regulations, are available from ATC UAE officials, PO Box 5078, Dubai, UAE, Tel: + 971 4 2961122, Fax: + 971 4 2961133, E-mail: info@atcuae.ae or Tanya@atcuae.ae, Website: www.abudhabidesertchallenge.ae