VIC Possee and Gwyneth Rixon of Ayr Roads/Harry Fairbairn Cycling Club are now well and truly acclimatised and enjoying themselves in New Zealand, where the pair have been competing in various events in the New Zealand Masters Championships.

Vic is no stranger to the antipodes, having competed in the Masters Games on three previous occasions, where he collected four silver medals, on the track and road race disciplines.

Evergreen veteran Vic, now in his 77th year and holder of no less than eight World, European and National Championship medals, has just competed in the 2017 Games, where he took bronze in the Sprint and Pursuit track championships. He was out-manoeuvred in the road race and finished fourth. A similar placing he took in the 20km Time Trial.

A master at cyclo cross competition, Vic has competed in no less than on nine occasions in the brutal Three Peaks Cyclo Cross race which takes in Yorkshire's peaks of Ingleborough, Whernside and Pen-y-ghent. The race covers a distance of 60 kms, with over 5,000 feet of climbing.

Despite a lengthy lay off due to illness last year, he refuses to be baited by his club mates that he is about to hang up his racing wheels and become a member of the select "auldunracers" group. Like Johnnie Walker, Vic hopes to be still going strong and become the club's first octogenarian racing member!

Not to be outdone, Gwyneth took Gold in the Sprint, Time Trial and Pursuit disciplines. All in all a highly successful trip down under.

Both will be remaining in New Zealand to compete in the World Masters Games, which is the single biggest multi-sport event in the world with 25,000 participants. The event will be held in Auckland at the end of April.

Baltic conditions last Sunday did not deter club members from racking up a few miles against a bitter easterly wind. The run took in the coast road to Pennyglen, before cutting over to Crosshill and Straiton. The homeward leg took them by the three lochs, Martnaham, Fergus and Snipe finishing up with a nice distance of...miles.

In better conditions, the mid week group took to the Cumnock and Skares roads with a stop at Dumfries House, before heading homewards via Mauchline, Tarbolton and Symington, with 60 miles recorded.

On the racing scene, next Sunday sees the first open time trial of the season - a 10 mile two-up team time trial on the Irvine course, promoted by Fullarton Wheelers. All Ayrshire Cycling Clubs will be well represented.

Meanwhile road cycling dominated the weekends itinerary for Ayr Burners Cycling QTS with members enjoying two different group rides.

The Saturday bunch set off from the usual haunt of the Burns Centre for a three hour easy paced pedal which took in the heights of the Ayrshire Alps before returning via Penny Glen with a coffee and cake stop back at the Burns Museum.

On Sunday an Eastern escursion would see a ten strong Burners group head for the impressive Dumfries House via the quiet back roads of South and East Ayrshire, with nearly 50 blowy miles banked by the riders upon return to Ayr.

On the Cyclocross scene the weekends action was at Chatelherault Park in South Lanarkshire where a tough course was laid out in the magnificent setting of the popular country estate near Hamilton. Not one but two steep running sections would prove to be the key feature of the race with strong running legs being an essential asset in the battle for positions. Gary Currie made the journey for Ayr Burners and closed off his 2016/17 Cyclocross season with a fantastic 19th place finish.