Evening Telegraph (First Edition)

Charity cyclists set sights on Rome

A TEAM of eight cyclists are set to travel 1,800 miles by bike from Dundee to Rome to raise money for a motor neurone disease charity.

The challenge – All Roads Lead to Rome – was set by the late Doddie Weir’s fellow rugby legend Rob Wainwright and aims to raise £1 million for the My Name’5 Doddie foundation.

Teams from across Scotland are hoping to make it to Piazza Navona in the Italian capital by March 8, while rememberin­g Doddie and raising funds for his charity. There’s only one rule – no air travel.

After seeing Rob’s video about the challenge in June, Perthshire farmer Pete Grewar felt it was a worthy cause to be involved in and assembled a “crazy” team from Tayside and Aberdeensh­ire to accompany him.

The Ride to Rome is not the first time the 46-year-old has taken on a major challenge for charity, having previously completed the 54-mile

Cateran Yomp and walked 105 miles from the Black Isle to Coupar Angus.

Pete, who used to play rugby, felt Doddie’s story “struck a chord” with him and wanted to give back to this “worthy” charity.

His team – which includes Brian Binnie, Colin Dargie, Michael Fotheringh­am, John Fyall, Adrian Ivory, Bill Stewart and Karen Stewart – will cycle one at a time in a relay to Rome.

They are to be accompanie­d by a support team of four vehicles and seven people.

After Karen, one of the cyclists, asked a friend at Specsavers for support, the team was “delighted” when the opticians donated £20,000 to the cause. That cash prompted the team to add an extra 60 miles to their journey, leaving from the Specsavers store on Murraygate rather than

Murrayfiel­d in Edinburgh. The group leave on March 2 and will pedal through four countries to reach Rome by March 8.

So far, more than £30,000 has been raised through their Just Giving page and a fundraiser held in Coupar Angus at the weekend.

Pete described the support from Specsavers as “phenomenal”, adding: “In my head, £50,000 is a reasonable target – hopefully we’ll make more.”

Jenny Stephenson, dispensing director optician at Specsavers, said: “When I heard about the All Roads Lead to Rome cycle in memory of Scottish rugby legend Doddie Weir I simply knew we had to get involved.”

To donate, visit: www.justgiving.com/team/ specsavers-dundee-doddie5

Three of the cyclists are pictured above.