Gronholm wins Turkish Rally in Loeb's absence

Ford's Marcus Gronholm won the Turkish Rally yesterday to cut absent world champion Sebastien Loeb's overall lead to 25 points with three rounds remaining. Gronholm, celebrating his fifth win of the season, had led from the start with victory...

Ford's Marcus Gronholm won the Turkish Rally yesterday to cut absent world champion Sebastien Loeb's overall lead to 25 points with three rounds remaining.

Gronholm, celebrating his fifth win of the season, had led from the start with victory effectively sewn up on Saturday when closest rival Petter Solberg hit a rock and crashed his Subaru into a ditch.

Team-mate and fellow-Finn Mikko Hirvonen sealed a Ford one-two, a result that moved him up to third overall in the championship, by finishing two minutes 23.4 seconds behind Gronholm.

Henning Solberg, Petter's older brother, took third place in a privately-entered Peugeot for his first world rally championship podium.

Briton Colin McRae, the 1995 champion drafted in to replace Loeb at Kronos Citroen after the Frenchman broke his arm falling off a mountain bike in training last month, failed to finish.

The Scot retired on the final stage.

Drivers' standings (top 10): 1. Loeb 112; 2. Gronholm 87; 3. Hirvonen 47; 4. Sordo 43; 5. Stohl 34; 6. H. Solberg 25; 7. P. Solberg 23; 8. Gardemeister 20; 9. Pons 18; 10. Atkinson 17.

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