Citroen lead after Ford disasters
Citroen are set to take a shock one-two finish in New Zealand after both works Fords hit trouble in the penultimate stage
Leader Mikko Hirvonen lost 50 seconds with a puncture and consequent spin in Whaanga Coast, while his teammate Jari-Matti Latvala - who had started the stage second - damaged his car and had to retire from the event.
Initial reports suggest that Latvala hit a large rock in the Whaanga Coast stage and damaged the underside of his car's engine, causing it to lose all its oil and forcing him to pull off shortly after the impact.
Latvala had been running first on the road today and was pushing hard to fend off the closing Citroens and hang on to second place.
To complete a dreadful stage for Ford, Francois Duval's satellite Stobart car also stopped in the stage after holding a comfortable fifth for most of the weekend.
The dramatic events of Whaanga Coast have moved Citroen duo Sebastien Loeb and Dani Sordo up to first and second, with Hirvonen able to complete the stage in third place.
Petter Solberg and Urmo Aava now fill the top five with just the Mystery Creek superspecial remaining.
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