SS3: Mikkelsen fights back, Al-Rajhi crashes

Andreas Mikkelsen has hit back following his delay on stage two by setting the pace through the 12.43-kilometre mixed-surface Salamiou stage.

However, damage to the suspension of his ŠKODA UK Motorsport Fabia Super 2000 caused by the earlier puncture is of considerable concern to the Intercontinental Rally Challenge champion ahead of the all-gravel 30.41-kilometre Panayia run, which gets underway at 09:59hrs local time.

Elsewhere, Yazeed Al-Rajhi has crashed out of second place in his M-Sport Ford Fiesta, although reports that he rolled several times have been denied by his team. Russian Fiesta driver Vasily Gryazin was also in trouble in the stage, spinning his Fiesta. He was 41.1s off the pace.

Out front, Nasser Al-Attiyah now leads ŠKODA Auto Deutschland’s Sepp Wiegand by 1m04.1s. Wiegand has never competed in Cyprus before and is chasing his first podium in the IRC. “It’s difficult to find the rhythm but this stage was better though,” said the German youngster.