Ypres ERC: Freddy Loix handed big lead as Craig Breen hits trouble
Freddy Loix's Ypres Rally lead soared to 1m36s at the end of Friday after Craig Breen suffered a broken driveshaft
Breen had been the only man able to keep seven-time Ypres winner and Belgian rallying legend Loix in sight on home ground at the start of the latest European Rally Championship round.
He escaped a puncture on SS4 with only minimal delay, but a driveshaft breakage on the next stage left Breen's Peugeot limping in two-wheel-drive.
By the time the loop was complete, he had fallen to fourth place overall.
Breen's troubles left Loix's factory-supported Skoda over a minute and a half clear of new second-place man Bryan Bouffier.
Hayden Paddon became the first man to deny Loix a stage win when he topped the short Mesen, and is now third, 13 seconds ahead of Breen.
As is Ypres' tradition, the remainder of the rally is crammed into Saturday, with four loops totalling 14 stages, starting mid-morning and finishing under darkness.
Leading positions after SS6: Pos Driver Team/Car Time/Gap 1. Freddy Loix Skoda 57m56.8s 2. Bryan Bouffier Delta Peugeot +1m36.2s 3. Hayden Paddon Symtech Ford +2m09.0s 4. Craig Breen Sainteloc Peugeot +2m22.2s 5. Andreas Aigner Stohl Subaru +3m17.9s 6. Davy Vanneste Duindistel Peugeot +3m46.9s 7. Hermen Kobus Kobus Ford +3m47.3s 8. Andy Lefevere Atlantic Mitsubishi +3m56.1s 9. Michal Solowow Cersanit Ford +5m22.5s 10. Melissa Debackere Duindistel Peugeot +5m33.9s
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