BRANDENBURG - The final day at the European championship this afternoon (15.30) is colored by a battle for gold between two big rivals in three cushion. The Belgian world champions Eddy Merckx and Frédéric Caudron and the Dutch Dick Jaspers and Raimond Burgman compete for the European title in the tournament for national teams.
The Belgian B-team (Merckx/Caudron) defeated Greece in the early hours with a big margin: 70-40 on two tables. Netherlands A won the bump with Belgium A (2-2) on caroms.
The Belgians are the favorites in the final, based on their recent honor list. Merckx and Caudron conquered the world title in Viersen this year in a final against Germany.
Jaspers and Burgman were two times the best of the world in this line-up: in 1998 and in 1999.
On the European stage, Jaspers won two gold medals: with Rini van Bracht in 1989 in Lisbon and with Louis Havermans in 1992 in Dordrecht.
Eddy Merckx and Eddy Leppens grabbed the European title three years ago in Ankara.
Netherlands A and Belgium A faced each other in the semi-final in a tough fight. Dick Jaspers’ victory against Roland Forthomme (40-31 in 27) was eventually decisive for the Dutch win, because Raimond Burgman, despite his loss against Eddy Leppens (40-36 in 23) scored more points than Forthomme.
Eddy Leppens was one of the star players in this round with a run of fifteen.
The Belgian world champions, called the B team, performed at high level against Greece. Frédéric Caudron took a majestic win against Nikos Polychronopoulos in sixteen innings (40-20, average 2.500), which allowed Eddy Merckx to stop his match on a score of 30-20 against Kasidokostas.
The final is at 15.30.