ANDY Hodge refused to get carried away after the Great Britain coxless four won the third and final leg of the World Cup series in Lucerne last Sunday.

Victory completed a trio of World Cup wins for the team but the Hebden rower emphasised that the toughest challenge still lay ahead.

That will come in the World Championships in Japan from August 28 - September 4 when they are likely to face strong crews from America and Australia, who they have yet to meet this season.

The likes of New Zealand and Canada are also likely to provide stiffer tests than the British have faced in winning the overall World Cup which also included victories in Munich and on Dorney Lake, near Eton.

In Sunday's final, Britain finished just over a second clear of Holland in 5 minutes 53:87 seconds with Denmark in third.

It was the narrowest victory the team of Hodge, Alex Partridge, Peter Reed and Steve Williams have had in the World Cup, having enjoyed several comfortable wins.

But strokeman Hodge said there was still much to work on.

"The main focus is on the World Championships. We're still developing, finding out our weaknesses and moving forward. There is a long way to go and plenty of weaknesses to work on."

He said the opposition on Sunday had been much faster than in previous races, adding: "We knew we couldn't keep on winning with such big margins."

The team - whose places were expected to be confirmed in the final World Championship squad announcement yesterday - now face a month of hard practice, including a spell of altitude training in Austria.

Success in Japan would complete a remarkable year for Hodge - a former Upper Wharfedale School pupil - who has already won the Boat Race with Oxford and the British Pairs title with Peter Reed in addition to his World Cup triumphs.