Reed and Triggs-Hodge make winning start in Banyoles

ANDY Triggs-Hodge and Peter Reed got off to a winning start in GB's new-look pair at the season-opening World Cup in Banyoles.

PROMISING START: Peter Reed and Andy Triggs-Hodge get off to a winning start in the hears of the first Worrld Cup in Barcelona (Getty Images)

Triggs-Hodge and Reed are now Great Britain's the flagship boat having won Olympic gold in the coxless four in Beijing, before seeing fellow members Steve Williams and Tom James take a break from the water.

The new pairing quickly opened up a length's lead over Vaclav Chalupa and Jakub Makovicka of the Czech Republic before crossing the line in 6:46.42 minutes to qualify for tomorrow's semi-finals.

"To be honest we're both really please with how things went out there today," said Reed.

"But the South Africans raced well in their heat and we will not underestimate the French or the Czechs."

Olympic heavyweights Canada and Australia are not competing in Banyoles - the first of three World Cup events - and none of the medallists from the Beijing pairs final are present.

The main challenge to Triggs-Hodge and Reed is likely to come from South Africans Shaun Keeling and Ramon di Clemente.

The new-look coxless four of Alex Partridge, Rick Egington, Matt Langridge - all silver medallists in the Olympic eight - and newcomer Alex Gregory also won their heat.

Olympic bronze medallists Matt Wells and Stephen Rowbotham - the only unchanged crew from Beijing - edged out a tight heat in the double sculls, while Alan Campbell won his single sculls heat.

Annabel Vernon and Anna Bebington, back in the double scull together after three years, won a tight heat ahead an Italian double and GB's Katie Greves and Beth Rodford.

The four women will race together as a quadruple scull in Sunday's final.

Second-placed Rob Williams and Paul Mattick advanced through to tomorrow's lightweight men's double sculls final while single sculler Ian Lawson, the men's lightweight four and women's lightweight double must all impress in tomorrow's repechages if they are to progress.

And Adam Freeman-Pask - a late replacement for Olympic gold medallist Zac Purchase -  won his afternoon repechage in the lightwieght single scull to reach the semi-finals.

Triple Olympic silver medallist Katherine Grainger - trying her luck in the single sculls after being denied a gold medal by China in the quadruple sculls in Beijing - will race in a straight final on Sunday due to low entry numbers.