All Roads Lead to Rome: Cycling Souters gear up for 'Italian Job' in aid of My Name'5 Doddie Foundation
And locals are invited to join them in the Grand Depart from Selkirk...
Last updated 3rd Mar 2024
All roads lead to Rome this week for a team of former rugby players from the Borders.
The Cycling Souters are set to pedal almost 1,600 miles from Scotland to Italy to raise money for the My Name'5 Doddie Foundation, which hopes to find a cure for Motor Neurone Disease (MND).
The team - which includes Gordon Hunter, a member of Scotland’s 1984 Grand Slam-winning side - is due to set off from Selkirk's Market Place at 8am on Sunday (March 3rd).
All being well, they hope to arrive in the Italian city in time for next week's Six Nations clash involving the two countries.
And they've already raised more than £30,000.
That surpasses the £20,000 the team raised for the charity on their previous fundraising cycle from Murrayfield to the Principality Stadium two years ago.
Selkirk Rugby Club President David Anderson said: "We set ourselves the target of beating what we'd raised for the Cardiff trip, which was over £20,000.
"Local businesses have been absolutely fantastic, and the people who've supported us, we appreciate it's a difficult time to be giving to charity.
"But it's such an important cause. MND now affects around one in 300 people in Britain, so it's really important we keep the momentum going and keep raising money."
The charity ride - in memory of former Scotland star Doddie Weir - has seen teams depart from all over the UK, led by Doddie's former teammate Rob Wainwright, who will deliver the ball for the match.
The Cycling Souters are inviting local cyclists to join them for a Grand Depart from Selkirk - with riders invited to complete one of two loops, to either Denholm or the Carter Bar for a donation.
WATCH: Click on the link below to see the riders depart...
The team will then carry on to Newcastle to catch the overnight ferry to Amsterdam, before travelling through the Netherlands, Belgium, France and Italy.
The 11 cyclists have been split into four groups and will take it in turns to chalk up the miles in a relay.
"It will push us to our limits every day," David admitted. "We'll all do roughly 375-400 miles.
"I'm 60 this year and I wanted to do something that was significant, and this is the biggest thing that I'll have done physically in my life."
The team is as follows: David Anderson, Michael Bell, John Davidson, Scott Hall, Gordon Hunter, Allen Jamieson, Kevin Fairbairn, Tommy Knox, Mark Moncrieff, Kenny Pearce, & Iwan Tukalo. They're being supported by drivers: Nancy Hunter, Lawrence McPherson, Susan Tukalo.
You can add your support by way of a donation by following this link to their JustGiving page - https://www.justgiving.com/team/cyclingsouters
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