Reed's team are top of the world

3:27pm Wednesday 14th May 2008

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PETER REED'S GB flagship four was back to it's oarsome' best as it totally destroyed the World Cup field in Munich - the lake where they lost their world crown eight months ago, writes Nick Hartland.

The Nailsworth naval officer's crew left world silver and bronze medallists Italy and Holland trailing in their wake as they cruised home three lengths clear of their nearest challengers.

"That's a great way to start the Olympic season and a great way to get some of last year out of the system," said Reed after pulling on his World Cup yellow jersey.

"It was tough coming here after last time. There was a lot of emotion racing out there, the course we lost our world title finishing fourth on last time. But we came here to face our demons and did it in style.

"I'm really happy with the way we raced. We really wanted to come here and put one on our opponents after last time and I'm really pleased to finish that far up. It's nice to get the season off to a flyer with such a good race.

"The Dutch have always given us a tough race in the last three years, but they were a long way back this time.

"But we're under no illusions - GB crews tend to come out of the blocks fast at the start of the season, and then other crews catch up. We've got to make sure we move up and keep that distance in front, keep training really well and really hard."

Meanwhile, Welshman Tom Lucy received a giant 20th birthday surprise when he was called into the crew two days before the regatta, following an injury to new bowman Tom James.

But the youngster proved a powerhouse in the bow seat as the GB flagship got their Olympic campaign firmly back on track.

And two-time world champion Reed, 26, paid tribute to the Monmouth man, saying: "It was a privilege racing with him. He may be the youngster of the GB squad, but he's a very cool, very tough customer. He's an incredibly mature racer for his years and has certainly proved himself to our coach Jurgen Grobler, whose coached five Olympic champion GB boats."

With Andy Hodge setting a superb rhythm in the stroke seat, GB's power into the stiff headwind was just too much for anyone else to live with, as they won by seven seconds from the Czech Republic who came through to beat Germany for silver on the line.

The crew had clear water at the 500m quarter-way mark in the six-boat medal race off, two and a half lengths at half way and three lengths with 500m to race.

And they had absolutely no need for a sprint finish as they cruised home watching the field scrapping for the minor medals behind, crossing the line in six minutes 29.12 seconds .

Holland, bronze medallists at Munich eight months ago, and silver medallists Italy, were simply blown away by GB's power, the Dutch finishing four lengths adrift and the Italians a giant 13 seconds off the pace, who only just pipped the German second boat.