Sports | Sunday 8 April, 2018 1:10 pm |

Lara Pepler, a South African who is the current Ducati Owners Club President, has won the Rookie Cup in the UAE Sportsbike Championship as its first female competitor.

“Despite a late start to the season, the Ducati team competed with determination, dedication and teamwork,” said Joel O’Brien, General Manager of Ducati UAE “Lara has been a great brand ambassador for Ducati since 2010, and this win demonstrates not only her skills as a “Ducatista”, but the increasing appeal sportsbikes are having among women,” he added.

The Rookie Cup. formally known as the UAE Sportbike Championship, is a racing series for motorcyclists based in the United Arab Emirates which is held throughout the winter months. It is run by the Dubai Autodrome Sports Club on different configurations of the circuit. Riders compete on bikes made by various manufacturers including Ducati.

Lara was the only rider to be sponsored by a motorbike manufacturer in the UAE championship this year, which stimulated a lot of attention and social media exposure among motorcycling aficionados..

Ducati is distributed throughout the UAE by Revolution Accessories LLC, which is owned by the Al Masaood Group.  The Ducati Owners Club UAE (Desmo) was established in 2010 and has been steadily growing since then. The Club meets on a weekly basis in cafes for meetings and every Friday morning the group rides together on pre-planned routes around the UAE enjoying their motorcycles and the iconic Ducati brand. The Revolution Accessories dealership fully supports the Desmo Owners Club UAE, and sponsors events and activities for the Club such as First Aid Training and Advanced Rider Training.

The annual World Ducati Week is also fast approaching.   Started in 2002, the Ducati Garage Contest rewards bike masterpieces created by the Ducatisti.

Fans in the UAE and across the globe are invited to unleash their creativity to create the most beautiful Ducati special. The 2018 Ducati Garage Contest is reserved to the Monster model of the motorcycle only, to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the company’s most iconic bike.

The Ducati Garage Contest 2018 will involve two main phases, an online selection of one or more photos of the creation sent along with the compiled entry form (available from the website) to DGC@ducati.com by 30 May. A jury of experts will select the 10 specials that will be exhibited at Misano.  The second part of the contest will take place at WDW2018. The 10 specials selected will be exhibited for the duration of the event in a dedicated and protected area.

For more information please contact Marwa Kaabour, Group Marketing & Corporate Communications Manager, E. Marwa_kaabour@masaood.com, Tel. 02 2017955.