SS7: Mikkelsen on a charge

Andreas Mikkelsen shrugged off the disappointment of his final stage retirement yesterday to climb three places on the leaderboard through the Amboy - Yacanto stage (SS7) and move into fourth in his Volkswagen Polo R.

The Norwegian won the opening test from San Agustin to Villa del Dique and was third in Amboy to overhaul Ford Fiesta RS trio Martin Prokop, Elfyn Evans and Robert Kubica.

His next task is a more difficult one – he is 2min 50.9sec behind third-placed Kris Meeke, who scared himself after a lurid moment in a flat out corner.

“It was a six left bend over a crest and I went completely wide into a bank. It was my pace note error,” explained the Citroen DS3 driver.

Team-mate Mads Østberg punctured a right rear tyre 5km from the finish.