LIMASSOL, Cyprus, 15 May 2004 — Subaru’s world champion Petter Solberg seized the early lead in the Cyprus Rally yesterday with Peugeot’s Marcus Gronholm close behind.
The Norwegian won the first two stages despite picking up three punctures on the opening rough and twisty run from Lagoudera to Spilia.
Solberg, last year’s winner of the event, led two times world champion Gronholm by 4.9 seconds after the short third stage from Asinou to Agios Theodoros.
Gronholm’s teammate and fellow-Finn Harri Rovanpera was in third place, 15.7 seconds adrift of the leader.
“It’s very rough and the conditions are quite difficult,” commented Solberg. “I tried to be careful, but there were lots of rocks around
“I think that maybe my driving was too aggressive on the first stage and I got three punctures but generally things are going well.”
“With three punctures I just couldn’t move the tires around as well as I would have liked and so one of the front tires was completely worn when we got back to service.”
Ford’s Belgian driver Francois Duval was less fortunate, ripping the front left wheel off his Focus in the first stage and retiring.
Estonian teammate Markko Martin, the championship leader after four rounds, was fifth and 40.6 seconds behind Solberg after his starting position forced him to serve as a ‘road sweeper’.
“There were no such problems for me, but it has been a big disadvantage to run first on the road this morning,” the Estonian said.
Martin is a point clear of Citroen’s French challenger Sebastien Loeb.
Loeb, who was in sixth place despite setting the second best time in the second stage and then winning the third from Gronholm.
“The differential settings were wrong on the first stage and I was not confident,” said Loeb.
“The car was moving around too much. We managed to make some changes and it was much better and I was able to push harder.”
Spain’s Carlos Sainz, Loeb’s teammate, was fourth.
Three more stages follow in the same area last night before the end of leg one in Limassol.
