After SS1: Meeke builds early lead in Ypres
Kris Meeke has set the fastest time through the opening stage of the Geko Ypres Rally, round six of the Intercontinental Rally Challenge.
Driving a Peugeot UK 207 Super 2000, Meeke recorded a time of 15m49.4s through the 28.82-kilometre Hollebeke stage.
Jan Kopecký lost a few seconds when he momentarily left the road in his Škoda and admitted to driving more cautiously thereafter. He was third behind local hero Freddy Loix with IRC series leader Juho Hänninen fourth quickest.
Toshi Arai and Stéphane Sarrazin both hit trouble in the stage, going off on what Meeke described as a “very slippery” surface. Arai rejoined and completed the stage but Sarrazin is reported to have got stuck in a ditch.
Corrado Fontana was also out of luck when he picked up a puncture two kilometres into the stage.
After SS2: Loix closes on Meeke with win
Freddy Loix has stepped up his bid for a sixth Geko Ypres Rally win by going fastest through the 6.04-kilometre Westouter stage. The factory Škoda driver headed Kris Meeke by four tenths of a second to cut the Briton’s overall lead to 1.8s after two stages.
Jan Kopecký was third fastest to maintain third overall with Juho Hänninen holding onto fourth despite picking up a puncture on a rock two kilometres from the end of the stage.
After SS3: Loix moves into lead in Belgium
Freddy Loix has moved into the lead of the Geko Ypres Rally after taking his second stage win in succession. The Belgian completed the 14.80-kilometre Mesen-Sauvegarde test in a time of 7m58.2s to move 2.8s ahead of Kris Meeke after the opening loop of three stages.
Peugeot UK driver Meeke was third fastest through the stage behind Jan Kopecký. IRC series leader Juho Hänninen is fourth overall, 18.3s adrift of Škoda Motorsport team-mate Loix.
Crews are now heading back to Ypres for a regroup followed by a 20-minute service. Stage four, Hollebeke, is due to start at 20:06hrs local time.
Overall positions after SS3
| Pos. | Team | Car | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | Loix Freddy / Miclotte Fréderic | Skoda Fabia S2000 | 27m24.1s |
| 02 | Meeke Kris / Nagle Paul | Peugeot 207 S2000 | +2.8s |
| 03 | Kopecký Jan / Starý Petr | Skoda Fabia S2000 | +9.4s |
| 04 | Hänninen Juho / Markkula Mikko | Skoda Fabia S2000 | +18.3s |
| 05 | Neuville Thierry / Klinger Nicolas | Peugeot 207 S2000 | +25.6s |
| 06 | Tsjoen Pieter / Chevaillier Eddy | Peugeot 207 S2000 | +35.0s |
| 07 | Casier Bernd / Caesemaeker Francis | Skoda Fabia S2000 | +54.8s |
| 08 | Mikkelsen Andreas / Floene Ola | Ford Fiesta S2000 | +54.8s |
| 09 | Snijers Patrick / Cokelaere Cindy | Peugeot 207 S2000 | +1m00.6s |
| 10 | Magalhaes Bruno / Magalhaes Carlos | Peugeot 207 S2000 | +1m07.6s |
| 11 | Van Den Heuvel Jasper / Kolman Martine | Mitsubishi Lancer Evo X | +1m12.8s |
| 12 | Solowow Michal / Baran Macie | Ford Fiesta S2000 | +1m21.8s |
| 13 | Romain Alexandre / Gilsoul Nicolas | Mitsubishi Lancer Evo X | +1m33.3s |
| 14 | Betti Luca / Scalvini Pierangelo | Peugeot 207 S2000 | +1m37.3s |
| 15 | Atkinson Chris / Prévot Stéphane | Peugeot 207 S2000 | +1m46.7s |