Led by former rugby giant Rob Wainwright, a team of sporting legends including Scott Hastings, Gordon D’Arcy and Mark Beaumont, will set off on Tuesday 4 February to cycle over 750 miles over just five days, from Dublin to Edinburgh via most of Scotland.

Joining them along the way, the team affectionally known as the ‘Puggled Pedallers’, will pass through Glasgow on Thursday 6 February as they head north to Aberdeen before completing the challenge on Saturday 8 February by arriving in Edinburgh’s Grassmarket, ahead of delivering the match ball for the Scotland v Ireland game on Sunday 9 February.

The sponsorship will enable the Foundation to further research into Motor Neuron Disease, and the team has already raised over £23,500. There is currently no cure nor any meaningful treatment for MND and the average life expectancy from diagnosis is just 18 months.

Stewart Alexander, director, A. Alexander Group, said: “This is a mighty task as many of the participants, by their own admission, are not cyclists so it really will be challenging.  Our own family has been touched by the devastation that motor neuron disease can cause, and we are pleased to lend our support and encouragement to the team.

“They are going to receive the most fantastic response when they enter Murrayfield and I’m sure that will keep them going over the five days.”

Puggled Pedallers team captain Paul Choat said: “Just over three years ago my Dad lost his battle with motor neuron disease. Having witnessed firsthand the devastating effects of this disease, we’re determined to do anything we can to help beat MND, so when my brother and I met Rob in Rome last year at the end of his last crazy challenge in aid of the My Name’5 Doddie Foundation, we rashly said we’d sign up for the next one. A year later, and here we are.

“Over the last few weeks, we’ve recruited a team of friends and family and set about training and arranging the logistics for this incredibly daunting challenge. Given that none of us would class ourselves as anything more than casual cyclists, we are a long way out of our comfort zone; several of our team didn’t even own a bike until a few weeks ago.”

In 2023, Stewart and director Lucy Alexander completed Rust2Rome, a 4,500-mile epic car journey in Bella, a restored Volvo 940 estate car wrapped in the Doddie Weir tartan. The couple raised just under £18,000 for the My Name’5 Doddie Foundation.

No stranger to cycling challenges, Rob Wainwright led Rob’s Doddie Cup 500 Ride in 2022, Doddie Cup 555 Ride in 2023 and All Roads Lead to Rome in 2024, all in aid of the Foundation.

Further information is available here and at myname5doddie.co.uk.