LAXOU - In the week after Torbjörn Blomdahl took the world title, the Swedish champion was beaten twice by Roland Forthomme. The Belgian shone on Monday with the Zanzibar team in the Belgian league (50-48 in 26) and also bested the new world champion in France in the match between Laxou and Andernos: 50-33 in 26 innings.
Andernos was by far the best in the away match against Laxou on the second day of Group A: 7-1. In the same group, Rouen won the match against Gravelines 5-3. The Belgian Martin Spoormans, who lost to Therese Klompenhouwer in the Belgian competition on Monday, was the best of all in France with a victory against Spaniard Javier Palazón: 50-31 in 20, 2.500 average.
Tonight (Friday), a match will be played in the other group between the champion Cetsi Morangis and Saint Maur. The game will be broadcast live on Kozoom from 18.00. The most important encounters: Eddy Merckx and Eddy Leppens meet Jérémy Bury and Jean-Christophe Roux.
The two Belgians in the Gravelines team showed a high level in the match against Rouen, especially before the break. Martin Spoormans continued very well and bested Javier Palazón in a superior sprint. Ronny Daniels was beaten just before the finish by Ruben Legazpi: 50-48 in 32.
Rouen took the win (5-3) thanks to Vincent Facquet who beat Gilles Stopin (50-43 in 62) and Frédéric Roelants who drew against Mikael Devogelaere (50-50 in 40).
The home crowd of Laxou celebrated the arrival of the new world champion who, however, was beaten for the second time in a week by Forthomme. Jérôme Barbeillon and Martin Horn played a draw in 35 innings. Francis Connesson stayed ahead of Pierre Soumagne with one carom (50-49 in 46), Frédéric Mottet beat Matthieu Franck 50-35 in 26.
Andernos ended with an excellent average 1.504, Laxou played 1.256.