Loeb closes on Gronholm

Triple world rally champion Sebastien Loeb (picture) closed the gap on Marcus Gronholm in this season's title race with his third consecutive win in the Rally of Catalunya yesterday. The 33-year-old Frenchman preserved his lead on the final leg to...

Triple world rally champion Sebastien Loeb (picture) closed the gap on Marcus Gronholm in this season's title race with his third consecutive win in the Rally of Catalunya yesterday.

The 33-year-old Frenchman preserved his lead on the final leg to finish 13.8 seconds ahead of Citroen team-mate Dani Sordo and a comfortable 39.8 seconds clear of 2000 and 2002 champion Gronholm.

Gronholm's Ford team-mate Mikko Hirvonen was in fourth place ahead of Citroen driver Francois Duval and former world champion Petter Solberg in a Subaru.

Loeb's third victory in a row in Catalunya makes him the most successful driver in the asphalt rally since the event's inclusion in the world championship in 1996. With four rounds left Gronholm, who will be retiring at the end of the season, leads the standings with 96 points, six ahead of Loeb who has won the title for the last three years.

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