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SS14: Loix fighting hard for rally lead

Mikkelsen takes stage win

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28 August 2011 - 13:29

Despite a “big push” on the 10.48-kilometre Kudlovice test Freddy Loix has been unable to close the gap to leader Jan Kopecký heading into the final stage of Barum Czech Rally Zlín.

Loix was 0.3s slower than his fellow ŠKODA Fabia driver and is now 2.0s behind with one stage of the Intercontinental Rally Challenge qualifier left to run. “I had a big push and we are quite on the limit,” said Loix.

In the fight for fourth place Andreas Mikkelsen has closed to within 11.0s of Thierry Neuville after posting the fastest stage time in his ŠKODA UK Motorsport Fabia.

Neuville, the surviving front-running Peugeot 207 driver, is intent on reaching the finish and admitted to being a little cautious as a result.

Toni Gardemeister was 0.8s faster than the chasing Craig Breen but after being handed a 10-second penalty on the previous stage, the Finn’s advantage over his Irish rival is down to 7.1s.

Pos.	Driver	Car	Time
1	Kopecký Jan / Starý Petr	Škoda Fabia S2000	2h03m15.4s
2	Loix Freddy / Miclotte F.	Škoda Fabia S2000	+2.0s
3	Hänninen Juho / Markkula Mikko	Škoda Fabia S2000	+21.1s
4	Neuville T. / Gilsoul Nicolas	Peugeot 207 S2000	+1m54.1s
5	Mikkelsen Andreas / Floene Ola	Škoda Fabia S2000	+2m05.1s
6	Gardemeister T. / Suominen Tapio	Škoda Fabia S2000	+3m21.9s
7	Breen Craig / Roberts Gareth	Ford Fiesta S2000	+3m29.0s
8	Kresta Roman / Gross Petr	Škoda Fabia S2000	+3m50.2s
9	Andersson P. / Axelsson Emil	Proton Satria Neo S2000	+4m18.5s
10	Kruuda Karl / Järveoja M.	Škoda Fabia S2000	+4m28.0s
11	Sołowow Michal / Baran Maciej	Ford Fiesta S2000	+4m31.5s
12	Sandell Patrik / Parmander S.	Škoda Fabia S2000	+5m06.4s
13	Barrable Robert / Connolly Damien	Škoda Fabia S2000	+5m19.2s
14	Basso G. / Dotta Mitia	Proton Satria Neo S2000	+5m28.5s
15	Odložilík R. / Tureček Martin	Škoda Fabia S2000	+6m14.0s