I am back from Belgium and normal service on the blog can now resume! As I was watching the Tour of Flanders on the Muur in Geraardsbergen while the Pairs Final was in progress, I did not see any of it and cannot offer much of a report. Suffice to say that Yves Salaberry and Aitor Zubieta wrapped up their fine competition by clinching the prize over Sebastien Gonzalez and Aritz Laskurain. The winners came to the boil gradually over the weeks of the tournament and were the form pair going into the final; their victory, though unheralded in January, came as no shock in the final analysis. The score, 22-14, belies the fact that Gonzalez and Laskurain fought every inch of the way. The win was, by all accounts, not a walk in the park for Xala and Zubieta. Early in the game, the pairs matched each other blow for blow and were level at 5-5. The most crucial spell of the game followed however, as Xala and Zubieta opened up a six point lead. From there on, the top dogs were never headed, but Gonzalez and Laskurain kept the deficit minor until their rivals opened the floodgates to advance to 20-13. Xala, it seems, made the game, with sterling support from Zubieta, while the pressure told on their opponents.

The statistics were as follows:

Gonzalez – Laskurain: 14
Xala – Zubieta: 22

Duration: 91´
Playing time:30´
Strikes of the ball: 604
Scoring sequence: 0-1/ 1/ 3-1/ 3-2/ 5-2/ 5/ 5-11/ 8-11/ 8-13/ 10-13/ 11-13/ 11-15/ 12-15/ 12-16/ 13-16/ 13-20/ 14-20/ 14-22
Gonzalez: 1 dejada, 6 de aire; 1 perdida en ataque, a perdida
Laskurain: 2 atrás, 5 perdidas
Xala: 1 saque, 4 dejadas, 4 de aire, 1 cortada, 1 al ancho, 1 atrás; 1 perdida en ataque
Zubieta: 3 atrás, 3 perdidas

Triumph for Xala and Zubieta

Image from: Noticias de Navarra, Source: Aspe