panoo

TSN.ca Staff
7/25/2007 8:42:54 PM

According to The Curling News, Jean-Michel Menard has decided to shake up his Quebec foursome.

The report indicates that Menard has formed a new rink with five-time Quebec provincial junior champions skip Martin Crete at third, Eric Sylvain at second, and former alternate Jean Gagnon at lead. Coach Michel St. Onge has been retained.

Former third Francois Roberge and lead Maxime Elmaleh have reportedly caught on with Montreal skip Francois Gagne.

Menard's rink won the Tim Hortons Brier in 2006 and went on to finish second at Worlds in Lowell, Massachusetts. But the team struggled last season, especially against the stronger teams on the World Curling Tour.

''We finished 0-18 against teams ranked in the top 15 of the World Curling Tour,'' Menard told The Curling News. ''We had been about .600 against those guys before. That's not a bad season, that's a horrible season.''

Menard feels he knows the reason why the team fell short of expectations in 2006-2007.

''As a team we did not define a goal,'' Menard told the Curling News. ''We didn't have the fire in our eyes that we had before; that's what made us a tough team to beat.''

Menard feels the team is stronger with the additions of Crete and Gagnon.

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