Forest firepower gives Loeb commanding lead

0 Comments | AFP, August, 2008

JYVASKYLA, Finland (AFP) — French four-time world champion Sebastien Loeb was on fire in Friday's Rally of Finland, ending the day with a 14-second lead over overall leader Mikko Hirvonen.

Loeb, of Citroen, took eight of the first 10 special stages to romp into the lead with a time of 1.04.57.9.

That left Loeb with a tactical conundrum of keeping his lead in the last special and being first out of the blocks on Saturday, or allowing the Finn to catch up and be the guinea pig for the difficult course.

"I thought about it. But it took me all day to get this lead, and I wasn't about to slow down at the end and give him a gift," said Loeb.

"I prefer to keep the time and see what happens tomorrow," he said. "It's always very fast here but I'm more...