Cyprus Rally Leg 2

Cyprus Rally - Leg Two

The second leg of Rally Cyprus began very similarly to previous day's action, Marcus Gronholm creating an early lead with three stage victories on the morning's loop of stages. Gronholm began the second day with a slim lead over Sebastien Loeb, 6.4 seconds, and despite solid performances from both drivers, it was not until the afternoon's loop of stages that either driver was able to break free and take solid control of the rally.

It was Sebastien Loeb who accepted the challenge, and it was Loeb who found himself with the rally lead after the end of the second Leg. Loeb dominated the second half of the day, reducing Gronholm's rally lead and eventually overtaking the Finn to hold a 21.8 second advantage going into the final day.

Mikko Hirvonen finished the second Leg holding third overall, and much like the previous day, Hirvonen was unable to match the pace of the two drivers before him, but he was faster than the drivers behind him. Hirvonen seems destined to become more than familiar with 'no man's land' as he is nearly a minute ahead of Manfred Stohl and well behind his team-mate who currently holds second overall.

Stohl has driven a very quiet rally, not causing stir or drama, and because of his clean runs through the day's stages, Stohl continued to maintain possession of fourth overall. Stohl looks unable to match his best-ever result (second overall in Cyprus Rally 2005), but a solid points finish will be very rewarding for a driver who has provided consistent performances throughout the season.

Toni Gardemeister had been as high as third overall during Cyprus Rally, but problems during the first leg saw Gardemeister drop well out of reach for a podium position. Thanks in part to troubles suffered by many of his rivals and a solid performance of his own during the second leg, the Finn ends the leg in fifth overall.

Xavier Pons drove with renewed confidence during the first and second Legs, and the Spaniard has found immediate results. Pons ends the second Leg sixth overall, thanks in part to problems his competitors suffered throughout the two Legs. Pons is not nominated for manufacturer points for the Kronos Total Citroen World Rally Team in Cyprus (that honour went to Dani Sordo), and it seems the alleviated pressure has been beneficial for him.

Petter Solberg began the day in 11th, but several solid stage times helped the former world champion move into seventh overall by the end of the second Leg. Solberg suffered traction problems throughout the day, but was able to avoid any rally-ending problems, like those he suffered during the first Leg, to end the day on a positive note. Though he was unable to claim a stage victory, Solberg did manage to post several top-five stage times during the day.

Henning Solberg suffered an off early in the day, and fell from fifth overall to eighth by the end of the second leg. Solberg also suffered mechanical problems during nearly the entirety of the second Leg, with water splashing from underneath his dashboard onto he and his co-driver. Though they performed repairs between the stages, Henning professed to be a poor mechanic, and the problem was not resolved during the day's action. The Norwegian driver remained optimistic and finished the day in the final points position despite one problem after another.

Chris Atkinson ran as high as fifth during the second Leg, but an engine stall and eventual off during the second loop of stages saw Atkinson return to service early, without completing the final two stages. Atkinson's Impreza rear suspension was damaged and he was unable to return to the road section when no spectators were available to help him back onto the stage.

Also suffering problems during the second day was Matthew Wilson. Wilson suffered gearbox troubles and had an off as a result. The young Brit was unable to get his car back onto the stage and was forced to return to service early. He was 10th outright at the time of the incident.

-wrc