Day 3am: Loeb presses on
Citroen's Sebastien Loeb has made the perfect start to the final leg of this weekend's Telstra Rally Australia, the final event on the WRC calendar, after taking the first two stage wins of the day. The Frenchman has a massive 1m52s advantage over Peugeot's Harri Rovanpera with just four tests left to run
The newly-crowned world champion dispelled any belief that he was taking it easy on the final stretch, despite saying yesterday that he was under team orders to back off as he bids to take a record-equalling sixth rally win of the season.
Rally retirees Petter Solberg and Marcus Gronholm have proved to be Loeb's most fiercest competition today, but even these two, who have nothing to lose by pushing to the maximum, have not been able to touch the Flying Frenchman.
Ford's Francois Duval has maintained his third place overall but has failed to make any inroads into Rovanpera who is 1m10s ahead in the runners-up slot. Likewise Subaru's Mikko Hirvonen has kept hold of his fourth position overall but has also been unable to eat into Duval's advantage.
Local driver Dean Herridge is the top Group N driver in his Subaru, in fifth place overall, but is closely followed by fellow local runner Chris Atkinson. Production WRC favourite Alister McRae is in seventh and on target for the championship while Xavier Pons is eighth.
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