Match ball on its way to Scottish Gas Murrayfield

After similar rides in the past three years, some 29 teams embarked on their gruelling adventure on Wednesday 5 February with the aim of reaching Edinburgh on Saturday, the day before Scotland take on Ireland in the Guinness Men’s Six Nations.

Rob has had the match ball for that game attached to the back of his bike throughout, and will arrive at Scottish Gas Murrayfield on Sunday to present it before kick-off – you can follow the progress of the various teams here:

Rob Wainwright said: “Here we go again! Even though Doddie is no longer with us, his incredible ability to unite people continues to inspire us all. We’ll need that same energy to get through every mile of this challenge.

“The atmosphere in Rome last year was unforgettable, and with Irish and Scottish fans coming together in Edinburgh, we know it’ll be just as special.

“People ask me why I keep doing these challenges – the answer is simple. Like Doddie, I want to see a world free of MND. His memory and everything he fought for drives us forward.

“We believe MND is not an incurable disease – it’s an underfunded one. The more money we raise for research through Doddie’s Grand Tour and other incredible events, the closer we’ll get to the day when an MND diagnosis no longer means a devastating future.”

Of course, the aim is to raise as much money as possible for the My Name’5 Doddie Foundation, and you can donate to the collated pelotons here: