Loeb extends lead after Leg 2

Loeb was fastest in two of Leg 2's four stages, but beat second-placed Marcus Gronholm in all of the quartet. He has now virtually doubled the lead he held going into today's leg and is now 39.7 seconds in front of the Ford Focus driver.

Loeb, who won his home event for the first time last season with a 100 per cent stage win record, is now set to take his second Tour de Course. He just has to negotiate four stages - or 110kms - tomorrow to claim victory.

Gronholm continued to struggle today compared to Loeb, and his Ford Focus has not been able to match the Citroen Xsara round the gravelly Corsican roads.

The Finn continues to hold a comfortable margin over third, which is now held by Spain's Dani Sordo.

Sordo has been impressive in his Xsara today, setting the second fastest time in SS7 before being fastest overall in SS8. His stage win in SS8 helped him to overhaul Gronholm's teammate Mikko Hirvonen and hold the final provisional podium slot overnight.

Sordo is unlikely to be able to challenge Gronholm tomorrow, being nearly a minute behind. He will be more concerned about holding onto third, with Hirvonen still only 5.7 seconds behind and setting strong stage times.

The privateer Peugeot of Alex Bengue has drifted away from the battle for the podium, now running 45 seconds behind Hirvonen due, in part, to a spin in SS8.

Xavier Pons might have been there to capitalise on Bengue's problems, if it wasn't for a spin of his own in SS7, which damaged the rear of his Kronos Racing Citroen Xsara. Pons now rests in sixth, eight seconds behind Bengue.

OMV Peugeot runner Manfred Stohl holds seventh, a minute down the road ahead of the leading Subaru of Stephane sarrazin.

Harri Rovanpera, celebrating his 40th birthday today, spun and lost two minutes to Loeb in SS7. The Red Bull Skoda driver is currently 12th.

Pos  Driver      Make      Time
 1.  Loeb        Citroen   2h 35:31.4
 2.  Gronholm    Ford      +     39.7
 3.  Sordo       Citroen   +   1:38.4
 4.  Hirvonen    Ford      +   1:44.1
 5.  Bengue      Peugeot   +   2:28.4
 6.  Pons        Citroen   +   2:36.4
 7.  Stohl       Peugeot   +   3:40.6
 8.  Sarrazin    Subaru    +   4:16.2
 9.  Galli       Peugeot   +   4:30.3
10.  Kopecky     Skoda     +   4:32.9
11.  Solberg     Subaru    +   5:07.2
12.  Rovanpera   Skoda     +   8:46.4
13.  Duval       Skoda     +  13:00.5
14.  Atkinson    Subaru    +  13:01.6
15.  Aava        Suzuki    +  15:28.6
16.  Latvala     Ford      +  17:06.0
17.  Prokop      Citroen   +  18:31.4
18.  Tirabassi   Citroen   +  18:34.1
19.  Rautenbach  Renault   +  21:32.2
20.  Vouilloz    Peugeot   +  22:06.3