LA BAULE - The new team in the top league of the French team competition, La Baule, started the season with a spectacular win over the reigning champion CetSi Morangis. The promoted team, in its strong line-up with Frédéric Caudron, Jean Paul de Bruijn, strengthened by new star player Jérémy Bury, kicked down the Parisian champions in La Baule 6-2. The conclusion must be: a new and serious title contender is launched on the first day of the competition.
Frédéric Caudron and Jérémy Bury decided the match when the pressure was on in the second part, after the match was still in balance at 2-2 at the break. Jean Paul de Bruijn bested Richard Bitalis 50-35 in 33 innings, Jean Reverchon restored the balance by beating Arnaud Motton (50-48 in 41). The second session showed the highest level with Frédéric Caudron, Eddy Merckx, Jérémy Bury and Eddy Leppens in the spotlights. Three Belgians and one Frenchman, who shone with three wins in this sparkling summer, captivated the audience with wonderful billiards.
As he is used to do, Frédéric Caudron showed himself again the whirlwind who scored quickly and accurately, taking him to the finish as the deserved winner of the Belgian classic. The match started with 13-8 in two innings, 18-9 in three and Caudron even continued with 9 and 5 for a 32-15 halftime score in 5. Eddy Merckx, with 3.000 average in five, faced an almost hopeless backlog, but he still managed to score 11 to come a bit closer. The victory, however, was never in danger: Caudron won 50-36 in 18.
Jérémy Bury made the decisive gap later in his match and once again the glorious New York, Guri and Laxou winner showed his high class and sky-high confidence. Leppens started strongly with an early run of nine, but in the final part Bury attacked irresistibly. His home stretch, in a slightly uphill performance, was impressive: 50-30 in 25 innings.
The winning team, launched as the blue tgv, finished with a stunning average 1.692, CetSi ended 1.299.