Darren Kenny's pursuit gold was one of seven British medals on the first day of the Para-Cycling Track World Championships in Montichiari, Italy.

Kenny edged out fellow Briton Shaun McKeown, with team-mate Rik Waddon's bronze ensuring a clean sweep.

Neil Fachie and pilot Craig MacLean took Britain's second gold of the day in the men's tandem kilo.

Maclean, who won Olympic silver with Chris Hoy in 2000, is aiming for a place at the London 2012 Paralympics.

The tandem events combine visually-impaired athletes with able-bodied pilots, although those pilots have to spend two years away from elite able-bodied events in order to qualify.

Maclean (right) took Olympic team sprint silver in 2000

Scotsman MacLean won nine world medals between 1999 and 2007 before opting to move to the Paralympic squad.

The event ended as a battle between two British pairs as Beijing Paralympic champions Anthony Kappes and Barney Storey set an impressive mark of 1:02.681 halfway through the race.

It looked as if it may be enough for victory before team-mates Fachie and Maclean sliced 0.022 seconds off that time to leapfrog ahead of their compatriots and take gold on the final tandem ride of the day.

There was disappointment for fellow Scot Aileen McGlynn, though, as she narrowly failed to defend her women's tandem kilo crown.

Piloted by Helen Scott, she had to settle for silver after coming home less than a 10th of a second behind Australian pairing of Felicity Johnson and Stephanie Morton.

There was some consolation for McGlynn and Scott in that their time of one minute 9.474 seconds was a new personal best for the newly-formed partnership.

Jody Cundy made a strong debut in the C4 individual pursuit as he secured silver behind the Czech Republic's Jiri Jezek, while former RAF weapons technician Jon-Allan Butterworth set a new British record in finishing sixth in the C5 individual pursuit.

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