Marlborough SW Cycle Workshop Sean's trip from Dublin to Edinburgh on Doddie's Grand Tour - keeping the wheels rolling

What goes on behind the scenes – keeping the Tour rolling….

Sean’s story from behind the scenes on the Doddie’s Grand Tour 2025. Normally fixing bikes here in Marlborough, Sean of SW Cycle Workshop is making what we all see and hear about in this massive fundraising challenge for the late Doddie Weir and his ‘My Name’5 Doddie Foundation’ possible. It’s Sean and his fellow spannermen that keep the 300-odd bikes in the Grand Tour rolling.

Day 1: – Tuesday
In Sean’s words: “The grand depart kicked off from the iconic Guinness Brewery in Dublin—huge thanks to them for hosting us last night and setting us up with a cracking breakfast this morning.

Gordon D’Arcy didn’t quite have the luck of the Irish today, taking a tumble just two metres in, followed by a puncture around 30 miles later. Despite the early misfortune, he took it all in stride, flashing a beaming smile and jokingly blaming Rob Wainwright for some “unsportsmanlike conduct” in the incident!

A quick pit stop at Boyne RFC kept the team fuelled and gave me a chance to check over the bikes before we pushed on. Now approaching the 100-mile mark, we’re closing in on Ballynahinch for another much-needed break at the rugby club—more coffee, more snacks, and for me… a bit more spannering!”

After a good feed at CIYMS Tuesday evening, the group headed for the Belfast – Stranraer ferry . An opportunity for some downtime. Some tried to have a little nap (yours truly included), some fully bedded down on piles of coats, while the ever professional Rob Wainwright used the opportunity to have a mini planning meeting.

We rolled into our stop at Stranraer around 11pm. The crew and riders headed for some much needed rest and comfort of some beds. Spirits were high but there was a real awareness that this was a tiring first day… the first of 5, that were only going to get longer.

As the team retired I started to set up the nights pit. With the promise of some dry weather on Wednesday, I took the opportunity to give the bikes a really good clean and tune up. With a 4.30am alarm call for a 5am roll out, I finally got to a bed in the Rv at 3. That’s what to expect from endurance event support as a mechanic, you go to work when everyone else rests and you’re on call the rest of the time.

So all in all day 1 was a good start to what should be a great adventure – kicking off from the Guiness Brewery, wonderful support all through Ireland and a time for the team to bond before getting to Scotland Wednesday.

Day 2 – Wednesday:
I’m not going to lie…. I didn’t really see the first 2 hours of the ride today. After 90 mins of sleep, once we had got breakfast at Wigtown, and the riders set off proper for the start of day 2, I dozed in the van . But not before puncture no.2. Mark Beaumont flatting on a viscous pothole in the dark after only a handful of minutes. After that I got my head down and it was well into daylight before I poked my head up.

More fantastic support and food followed at both Stewartry and Annan rugby clubs, leading up to lunchtime.

And that’s what I’ve noticed most about this trip so far, the warmth that is shown to everyone is amazing. It’s been the same on all the previous trips, but it’s something that’s easily forgotten when you’re not in the middle of it all. Whether it’s people who’ve never met before chatting away like old friends, someone you haven’t seen since the 2023 edition greeting you with a beaming smile and bear like hug or, as happened to us today, a lady walking up to the van window to pass a £10 note through the window for the charity, saying how much she’d loved Doddie. I remember that happening on the first edition I did – an older lady had walked 4 miles from her farm to wait at the side of the road, to hand us £20. I’m not afraid to say, both times brought a lump to my throat. It’s really moving seeing kids out at schools to wave and people beeping car horns as they pass. We even chatted with a tractor driver earlier whose tractor was bedecked in the Doddie tartan and logo’s.

And essentially that is what this trip is about. As Rob puts it – “it’s a fundraising event with the good excuse to have a bike ride”. Raising awareness and all important funds for research.

So as we’re wending our way through Dumfries and the Borders, please consider helping all the riders raise some money to fight MND. Any donation, no matter how small is welcome here Sean Wratten is fundraising for My Name’5 Doddie Foundation or direct at Doddie’s Grand Tour 2025 – JustGiving.