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H5: Peugeot in charge as Audi crashes

Peugeot tightened its control over this year's Le Mans 24 Hours after Audi suffered a major setback during the fifth hour

At the start of the hour Anthony Davidson made a fuel stop and returned to the track just ahead of Stephane Sarrazin, who had previously held a narrow lead over the ex-Super Aguri Formula 1 racer.

Davidson has now handed the #1 Peugeot to Alexander Wurz, who is a handful of seconds ahead of Nicolas Minassian in the #2 car. The #4 ORECA Peugeot, currently being driven by Loic Duval, is also still within half a minute of the leader.

Audi's setback came early in the hour. Tom Kristensen, who had been holding fourth in the #7 Audi, went off avoiding the #79 BMW M3 of Andy Priaulx, which was struggling with a puncture.

The eight-time winner spun into the gravel and hit the barriers. He got the car back and a quick stop for a new rear wing got Dindo Capello back into the race in eighth, but the car is now three laps behind the leaders.

The LMP2 battle is hotting up. Nick Leventis is driving the #42 Strakka HPD, which Johnny Kane and Danny Watts had got a lap ahead of its class rivals, and is being caught rapidly by the similar #26 Highcroft machine being driven by Marco Werner.

Ex-Renault F1 driver Romain Grosjean is having his first stint in the GT1-leading #60 Matech Ford GT. He is pulling away from the #73 Luc Alphand Chevrolet Corvette of Patrice Goueslard.

The intense GT2 battle continues. Chevrolet has taken a narrow advantage back from the #82 Risi Ferrari, Emmanuel Collard having taken the #64 Corvette past Pierre Kaffer in the leading 430. The Chevrolet has just pitted, handing the lead back to Kaffer until Risi too makes its stop, expected in the next few minutes.

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