Leicester Tigers supporters, players, coaches and staff were on hand to welcome former club captain Ed Slater and his team of riders to Mattioli Woods Welford Road on Monday (August 8) after Day 1 of the '4Ed 350-mile Cycle Challenge' to raise awareness and much-needed funds for Motor neurone disease research and treatment.
Slater, who spent seven seasons at Tigers, announced that he has been diagnosed with MND which has resulted in his immediate retirement from professional rugby.
Among the awaiting group of well-wishers were current Tigers Freddie Burns, Ben Youngs, George Martin and coaches Brett Deacon and Kevin Sinfield, as well as former players Mat Tait and Harry Ellis.
Hear from Burns, Youngs and Sinfield below on LTTV about why they're supporting Ed.
The former Tigers was joined by Gloucester and Tigers team-mates in Fraser Balmain, Billy Twelvetrees and Jim Hamilton, as well as Alex Brown, Charlie Sharples and Lewis Ludlow, as well as his brother Andy Slater and close friend Joe Gorman.
The group cycled from Kingsholm Stadium to Mattioli Woods Welford Road on Monday before spending the night at Hotel Brooklyn and then set off for Milton Keynes and Twickenham Stadium in the early hours of Tuesday morning.
Wednesday will see them head from Twickenham Stadium back to Kingsholm to complete the trip.
The three-day ride is the first of several events to take place throughout the upcoming season in support of the 4Ed Campaign, which are still to be announced.
Supporters who wish to make their own fundraising efforts can do so by donating to the JustGiving page set up in support of Ed and his family, which has raised more than £110,000 to date - including more than £40,000 since the Cycle Challenge was announced less than a week ago.
