Hodge & Reed win World Cup trial

Reed and Hodge (centre) beat their crew-mates from the men's four

Andy Hodge and Peter Reed beat fellow world champions and crew-mates Steve Williams and Alex Partridge at the Great Britain rowing trials in Belgium.

The one-length win in Hazewinkel was Hodge's third success in the warm-up event for the new international season.

Hodge, Reed, Williams and Partridge made up the men's four that won gold at last year's World Championships.

Tom Parker and Kieran West, who were in opposing crews in the University Boat Race earlier this month, were fifth.

Katherine Grainger was dominant in the women's singles final, Alan Campbell took the men's singles while Vicki Etiebet and Rebecca Rowe won the women's pairs.

World glory for men's four

"We've seen a quality and depth of racing here which has been inspiring," said Great Britain performance director David Tanner.

Great Britain will name their team in May for the opening World Cup event of the season in Germany.

The main focus of 2006 is the World Championships, which are being held in England for the first time in 20 years.

They are due to take place at Eton's Dorney Lake, near Windsor, from 20-27 August.