Citroen's world champion Sebastien Loeb ended the penultimate leg of the Rally of Jordan with a 24.6 second lead and title rival Mikko Hirvonen's hopes in tatters Friday. With Hirvonen's Ford hitting a bank and retiring from the second leg with a broken suspension, the Frenchman should be able to stretch his championship lead significantly Sunday. Loeb has 43 points after two rallies, with Hirvonen second on 37 and Jari-Matti Latvala third with 25. The Ford Abu Dhabi works team is six points clear of the Citroen Total team in the manufacturers' standings. Loeb had been third overnight in the rally, with Finland's Latvala leading for Ford, but by the end of the leg the positions were reversed with Latvala 27.7 off the pace. Loeb's compatriot and Citroen junior team driver Sebastien Ogier was second after Latvala deliberately dropped back on the final stage. Loeb won the day's opening eighth stage and after also completing stage 10 quickest moved up to second place and 4.7 seconds adrift of Latvala by the midday service break. He then forged ahead in the afternoon. “It has been a good day for me,” said Loeb, well aware that Latvala will enjoy better conditions through Sunday's final eight stages on the shores of the Dead Sea while the six-time champion acts as sweeper due to being first on the road. “Each time in the long stage I got a very good time and that was the difference I could make. Maybe it could have been better for me to be just behind him (Latvala), I don't know. “But we are in the lead and I will try to push hard to keep the gap tomorrow but I know it won't be easy,” added Loeb. Latvala remained confident however: “It's the perfect position for me because the two drivers ahead will clean the road,” he said. “I need everything to click into place so I can fight for victory. It was good experience for me to take on the role that nobody wanted today, but I'm happy to let someone else take over for tomorrow. “I thought tactics would come into play from those behind to make me start first tomorrow, but it didn't happen.” Former Formula One world champion Kimi Raikkonen, also in a Citroen, spun on the final stage but was in eighth place overall.
