France's top division for teams is facing the penultimate round of the regular competition this week. For some teams, it will be a last chance to qualify for the four-team finals. In Group A, Soissons (Bury, Merckx) leads with 7 points ahead of St Quentin (Jaspers, Loncelle) with 5 points. In Group B, Albert (Ceulemans, Philipoom) and Blois (Hofman, Sidhom) leads with 5 points.
Two matches are played on Thursday and Friday this week for the fifth round, split between the two groups.
Soissons will be in action on Thursday with Bury, Merckx, Soumagne and Devogelaere against Intermarché with Polychronopoulos, Mottet, Connesson and Boignères. In this Group A, the other teams play on Friday: Douarnenez Prevalrisk with Van Acker, Forton, Le Deventec and Lelièvre against Saint Quentin with Jaspers, Loncelle, Perrotin and Nathan Duriez.
Group B starts on Thursday with the match between Blois Doozy, which comes in its strong line-up with Hofman, Sidhom, Panaia and Tachoire against Colmar with Spanish leaders Legazpi and Jimenez and Frenchmen Haby and Riotto. On Friday, Albert (Ceulemans, Philipoom, Melnytschenko, Roxo) plays against Andernos with Zanetti, Forthomme, Maréchal and Barbeillon.
In Group A, St Quentin and Intermarché battle for second position following Soissons. In Group B, Blois and Albert are still in sight of Andernos.