Loeb in control as Galli crashes

With SS7 having been cancelled because of spectator problems, which meant the drivers were handed nominal times that left the overall positions unchanged, Loeb was only fourth quickest in the next stage at Capafonts as the drama continued.

Although not able to top the times, the newly crowned World Champion almost certainly had the last laugh in the stage when the fastest man through there, Mitsubishi's Gigi Galli, crashed almost immediately after the finish line and put himself out of the event.

It is not clear exactly what happened, but Galli's exit leaves Marcus Gronholm in a comfortable third place overall. The Peugeot driver is 25 seconds clear of Ford's Toni Gardemeister, who was only 12th fastest in SS7.

At the front, Duval was second quickest in the stage to leave himself 52.4 seconds behind Loeb in the standings.

Hopes that the second leg would be dry to prevent the tyre choice nightmares that marred the opening day were dashed by the second stage, as once again the teams were greeted with damp conditions.

Citroen's Dani Sordo has won the Junior WRC title after rival Guy Wilks crashed out of SS8.

Top 20 leaderboard after SS8:

 1.  Loeb           Citroen       1h 56:02.5
 2.  Duval          Citroen       +     52.4
 3.  Gronholm       Peugeot       +   1:17.0
 4.  Galli          Mitsubishi    +   1:32.7
 5.  Gardemeister   Ford          +   1:42.0
 6.  Hirvonen       Ford          +   2:05.8
 7.  Kresta         Ford          +   2:17.4
 8.  Sola           Ford          +   2:23.5
 9.  Pons           Citroen       +   2:23.5
10.  Bernardi       Peugeot       +   3:03.0
11.  Warmbold       Ford          +   3:45.1
12.  Kopecky        Skoda         +   4:04.2
13.  Atkinson       Subaru        +   4:25.9
14.  Rovanpera      Mitsubishi    +   4:31.7
15.  Schwarz        Skoda         +   5:12.4
16.  Sordo          Citroen       +  10:12.0
17.  Baldacci       Fiat          +  10:45.5
18.  Boland         Ford          +  12:32.9
19.  Katajamaki     Suzuki        +  13:15.8
20.  Garcia Ojeda   Subaru        +  14:13.1