Loeb remains on course for victory

Gronholm won two of this afternoon's three stages and was just 0.8 seconds slower than Loeb in the other, but only managed to trim his title rival's lead by five seconds.

Although there are six more stages on leg three and no opportunity for service between them, all six tests are relatively short - with the longest only 10kms. Barring last minute problems, Loeb therefore looks assured of a fourth consecutive rally victory.

Mikko Hirvonen has settled into a comfortable third place, a minute and a half off the lead but a safe distance ahead of the battle for fourth, which saw Dani Sordo overcome Henning Solberg in the final stage of the leg after closing inexorably on the Stobart Ford throughout the day.

Petter Solberg may yet have an opportunity to put his elder brother under pressure for fifth, as set-up changes in the lunchtime service allowed the Subaru driver to set significantly more competitive times during the afternoon loop.

He will start leg three 29.6 seconds behind his sibling, having been nearly a minute adrift earlier in the day.

Toni Gardemeister and Manfred Stohl remain seventh and eighth, with Stohl closing slightly on the Mitsubishi as he became happier with his OMV Citroen's handling. He completed the day 23.3 seconds behind.

Having rejoined under SupeRally regulations after his leg one retirement, Stobart Ford's Jari-Matti Latvala has continued to show excellent pace.

Despite running first on the road, he was fifth fastest in Monte Lerno 2 and third quickest in Su Filigosu 2, and with teammate Matthew Wilson having retired from ninth after hitting a rock in SS10, Latvala has now moved up to 10th place.

Leading positions after SS12:

Pos  Driver        Make        Time
 1.  Loeb          Citroen     3h12:45.6
 2.  Gronholm      Ford        +    36.5
 3.  Hirvonen      Ford        +  1:30.2
 4.  Sordo         Citroen     +  2:22.4
 5.  Solberg       Ford        +  2:32.7
 6.  Solberg       Subaru      +  3:02.6
 7.  Gardemeister  Mitsubishi  +  5:21.5
 8.  Stohl         Citroen     +  5:44.8
 9.  Hanninen      Mitsubishi  +  9:43.3
10.  Latvala       Ford        + 12:15.8