Loeb Wins In Norway To Maintain Perfect Start

The win put Loeb on a perfect 20 points from two races in the world championship standings.

Frenchman Sebastien Loeb won the Norwegian Rally in a Citroen on Sunday, extending his world championship lead with his second victory in two races this season.

Loeb finished in a time of three hours, 28 seconds 15.9 seconds, 9.8 quicker than Finn Mikko Hirvonen of Ford whose team mate and compatriot Jari-Matti Latvala came third.

The win kept Loeb, seeking his sixth successive world title, on top of the standings with a perfect 20 points from two races.

The Frenchman, who also won the season-opening Irish Rally, led on the snowy roads all weekend.

Going into the 23rd and closing Budor stage on Sunday, Hirvonen trailed Loeb by just 7.7 seconds but the Frenchman produced his usuak strong finish to beat his rival by 2.1 seconds.

"This victory was very important for me," Loeb told reporters.

"Finally we've done it. It's been very difficult mentally to keep pushing to the end and know that you could lose everything at the last corner of the last stage. It's a lot more exciting when you win with a battle like this."

"Mikko has done a really great rally and I had to push on the limit from the first to the last stage," added Loeb, who took his 49th world championship win but only his second on snow after the 2004 Swedish Rally.

Hirvonen, winner of the only previous edition of the Norwegian Rally in 2007, climbed to second place in the standings, six points behind Loeb.

"I'm sad that we came second, but I'm glad we finished," said the Finn.

"It was a really, really big and close fight. He was faster yesterday, and that was it. I'm glad about my speed today, I managed to push him really hard."