 Loeb has already taken his career tally to 25 wins |
Sebastien Loeb stayed on track to equal Carlos Sainz's record of 26 world rally career victories by claiming the first stage at the Acropolis Rally in Greece. The Citreon driver edged out rival Marcus Gronholm to win the special stage inside Athens' Olympic Stadium.
Loeb sped round the 2.80km asphalt track in two minutes 21.4 seconds with Gronholm second fastest and Ford team-mate Mikko Hirvonen third.
The cars head for the rocky roads on Friday for the rest of the 120km event.
Defending champion Loeb leads Ford's Marcus Gronhom in the overall standings by 31 points.
"The real rally starts on Friday," said the Frenchman. "Some stages are difficult and need attention.
"Sainz's record is the most interesting to me but I try to stay concentrated and think about my race. There is a long way to go before I win it."
This weekend's rally, which finishes in Athens on Sunday, marks the halfway point of the 16-race season and is the last before a nine-week break in the championship.
This year features a new route, with Athens' Olympic Stadium complex serving as the rally headquarters as well as start and finish point.
Positions at the Acropolis Rally, Greece after special stage one:
1 Sebastien Loeb (Fra) Citroen 2mins 21.400secs
2 Marcus Gronholm (Fin) Ford 2:23.400
3 Mikko Hirvonen (Fin) Ford 2:24.200
4 Francois Duval (Bel) Skoda 2:24.800
5 Dani Sordo (Spa) Citroen 2:25.400
6 Chris Atkinson (Aus) Subaru 2:26.200
7 Henning Solberg (Nor) Peugeot 2:26.400
7 Jan Kopecky (Cze) Skoda 2:26.400
9 Toni Gardemeister (Fin) Peugeot 2:27.500
10 Xavier Pons (Spa) Citroen 2:28.000
E-mail this to a friend 
Printable version 