Friday, Feb 17, 2012
Gulf News
Muscat A 70-year-old rider is among the 40 France-based Grand Lyon Harley-Davidson Club bikers, who roared into Oman on Wednesday evening on the 2,000km ‘Incense Route Rally’.
“The bikers from the Grand Lyon Harley-Davidson Club are excited about Oman,” Jamal Reffat, general manager of Muscat Desert Challenge, told media after the bikers made their first stop at the Left Bank lounge in Muscat’s Qurum district.
Reffat praised the Royal Oman Police (ROP) for extending the bikers a warm welcome at the Hatta border. “The bikers arrived by Emirates [airline] to Dubai and their machines arrived by ship at the Jebel Ali Port,” he said.
Scenic landscape
After zigzagging for five days across Oman’s scenic landscape, including Jebel Akdhar, the Lyon-based bikers will get to Fujairah for a journey through the UAE covering 1,000km.
According to Jamal, the charismatic founder of the Grand Lyon Harley-Davidson Club, Jean-Marc Chapel, had toured Oman earlier to map out the route. “We do have sponsors to back up this adventure but at the same time each biker would spend around €7,000 (Dh33,437) for this rally that coincides with the Muscat Festival.”
Besides France, the biker-contingent includes members from other Francophone countries namely Switzerland, Canada and Belgium. Ten of the 40 riders are women accompanying their spouses. The event is part of a wider Arabian rally that began in Dubai on February 11 and ends back there on February 21.
By Sunil K. Vaidya?Bureau Chief
Gulf News 2012. All rights reserved.
