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Mikko Hirvonen full of praise for new Rally Argentina route

Mikko Hirvonen has sung the praises of Rally Argentina's endurance route - with the Finn suggesting that some of the new stages this year were the event's best yet

Hirvonen ended the event a close second to Sebastien Loeb for the second year in succession, but this time around he was sharing the Citroen team with the Frenchman.

"I liked this rally," said Hirvonen. "I like the variation in the stages and the long ones were really nice. The one which was my favourite was stage nine [the 24-mile Intiyaco-Golpe de Agua]. This was just incredible."

The Intiyaco stage, which ran south of the event's Villa Carlos Paz base, provided the fastest section of the rally - the final sector which Hirvonen completed at 123mph. The fastest car down this section was averaging close to 140mph.

"That last section was maybe a bit pointless," said Hirvonen, "it was just flat-out all the way."

Hirvonen's co-driver Jarmo Lehtinen admitted it was quite a strange section, saying: "For about four kilometres, I just sat there. I only had one page of notes for this section, with maybe five lines which were flat crest 250; flat crest 350; flat right over crest 600.

"On an event like the Acropolis I would have had five pages of notes for this distance. I kept looking up and thinking: 'Hmm, we are going fast!'"

Hirvonen concluded: "Before that section, the stage was really fantastic: lots of crests and jumps and corners over crests. The car was really flying at some strange angles all of the time - it was great."

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