A GROUP of Selkirk cyclists are to take on a mammoth challenge by riding 1,500 miles to Rome.
The Cycling Souters aim to help ex-Scotland skipper Rob Wainwright deliver the match ball for the Six Nations fixture between Italy and Scotland on March 9.
They will ride 90 miles to Newcastle to catch the overnight ferry to Amsterdam, before travelling through the Netherlands, Belgium, France and Italy.
The overriding goal of the challenge is to raise as much money as possible for Borders legend Doddie Weir’s motor neurone disease (MND) charity.
Ex-Selkirk rugby player Allen Jamieson, who planned the route, said: “We’ll cycle an average of 280 miles per day in Europe – the equivalent of cycling from Selkirk to Birmingham every day, a decent shift.
“En route we will meet up with other teams of like-minded charity cyclists who will be setting off from multiple start points across the UK.”
The Cycling Souters raised more than £20,000 in 2022 for the My Name’5 Doddie Foundation.
The team rode from Murrayfield to Cardiff’s Principality Stadium in 48 hours to hand over the ball for the clash between Wales and Scotland.
Now the 11-strong Selkirk contingent have launched a bigger challenge for 2024.
“The Cycling Souters will cycle in relay teams,” said team captain Gordon Hunter, himself a member of Scotland’s 1984 Grand Slam-winning side.
“We were overwhelmed by the fantastic support we received from sponsors and members of the public for our Cardiff ride, and we’re hoping everyone will again get behind the boys for what’s going to be an even tougher challenge.
“For the 2024 Rome ride we’re aiming to surpass the £20,000 total we raised two years ago – a tough ask, but one which all our riders are happy to take on.”
The Cycling Souters will leave Selkirk’s Market Place at 7am on Sunday, March 3, to head for the ferry.
The group – supported by a back-up crew in camper vans – will then travel through Europe, finally arriving in the Piazza Navona, Rome, on Friday, March 8.
Weir’s foundation is working towards a world free of MND by funding vital research into the disease.
Rob Wainwright, the brains behind the 2024 venture and Weir’s former team-mate, said: “The My Name’5 Doddie Foundation was established by the late Doddie Weir and the trustees in response to the Scotland and British Lion’s frustration at the lack of options given to MND sufferers – no effective treatment, no access to meaningful clinical trials and, therefore, no hope.
“The foundation has already donated millions of pounds for targeted MND research projects, and is committed to continuing to invest in the most promising research to help find new treatments, gain improved knowledge and ultimately find a cure.”
The Cycling Souters hope to cover all the costs of the trip before setting off. This would mean that 100 per cent of the funds raised will go to the charity.
The group has set up a JustGiving page at www.justgiving.com/team/cyclingsouters.
The Cycling Souters are: Iwan Tukalo; Tommy Knox; Allen Jamieson; Kevin Fairbairn; Kenny Pearce; Gordon Hunter; Davie Anderson; Scott Hall; Mark Moncrieff; John Davidson; Michael Bell.
The drivers are: Nancy Hunter; Susan Tukalo; Lawrence McPherson.
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