The Doddie Cup 555 Cycling Challenge to support the My Name’s Doddie Foundation in their mission to find a cure for Motor Neurone Disease (MND) passed through mid Wales on Thursday, writes Huw S Thomas.

Crowds came out in numbers on Thursday afternoon and evening to cheer and give their support.

The long distance, endurance cycle ride took place between Thursday, February 9 and Saturday, February 11. A team of rugby legends including former Scotland captain Rob Wainwright and World Cup-winning England skipper Martin Johnson lead a 200-strong peloton of cyclists covering 555 miles in just 48 hours.

Their route took them from the Principality Stadium, Cardiff to Murrayfield Stadium, Edinburgh in time to deliver the match ball for last weekend's Scotland vs Wales Six Nations match,

The cyclists had a snack stop at Llandovery RFC’s Church Bank before continuing via Llanwrtyd, Rhayader, Llanidloes, Newtown and Welshpool on their way to Murrayfield.

The event was held in honour of Doddie Weir OBE, the former Scottish rugby union player, who died of MND on November 26 last year.

It takes place during the last week of Doddie Aid 2023, a national fundraising event where over 38,000 fundraisers across the UK have already rallied to raise as much money as possible for MND research.