The Cyprus Rally appeared on the World Rally Championship calendar for the first time in 2000, replacing the Chinese event. This years run took place May 14th-16th. The route of this Cypriot rally resembles its Greek cousin, the Acropolis Rally. The event is held on very rough broken terrain with in places some very twisty stages on which the average speed doesn't go climb over the 50km/h mark. On top of this natural opponent, the crews have to contend with intense heat.

Gronholm gives Peugeot 307 its first victory, pretty impressive!

Subaru was plagued early on with 3 punctures. They got over that fine. Then the overheating problems started. At a couple points Petter Solberg and co-driver had to pull over on stages to clear debris from the radiator and collect some rainfall runoff water to get the thing moving again.

The Mitsubishi Motors Motor Sports WRC crews of Gilles Panizzi/Hervé Panizzi and Kristian Sohlberg/Kaj Lindström were both forced into retirement during the opening stages of the second leg of the Cyprus Rally.

Kristian Sohlberg was the first to be blighted by engine problems, the Finn forced to slow and ultimately stop in the second stage. Although partial emergency repairs were made to the Lancer WRC04 by the crew enabling them to continue, they eventually pulled over and retired for safety reasons after smoke appeared under the bonnet.

Team-mates Gilles and Hervé Panizzi, who had climbed to seventh overall this morning, experienced similar engine problems in stage nine and although they managed to complete the stage, delays on the road section making repairs ultimately forced them over the time permitted.


With my babble out of the way here are the race notes.

LEG 1

SS 1 : LAGOUDERA – SPILIA 1 - 38.32 km

Petter Solberg wins the first stage and takes the lead.

Jussi Valimaki retires with gearbox problems before reaching the start of the first stage.

Francois Duval's car loses a wheel and the Ford driver retires.

Carlos Sainz loses time because of a broken paddle shift lever.

Sebastien Loeb has handling problems with his Xsara.

SS 2 : KOURDALI – ASINOU 1 - 15.00 km

Petter Solberg takes another stage victory.

Kristian Sohlberg loses around two minutes when his car's sump guard is torn off.

SS 3 : ASINOU – AGIOS THEODOROS 1 - 7.57 km

Sebastien Loeb wins the stage victory.

Miguel Campos has a broken right rear suspension on his 206 and loses a lot of time by driving the first three stages with this problem.

SS 4 : LAGOUDERA – SPILIA 2 - 38.32 km

Fastest stage time for Marcus Grönholm, who is the new race leader.

Petter Solberg loses four minutes when his Impreza's engine overheats.

Kristian Sohlberg has clutch problems and finishes the stage at a slow pace.

SS 5 : KOURDALI – ASINOU 2 - 15.00 km

Fastest stage time for Sebastien Loeb.

Petter Solberg loses an additional four minutes with his overheating Subaru.

Marcus Grönholm is having clutch problems.

SS 6 : ASINOU – AGIOS THEODOROS 2 - 7.57 km

Fastest stage time for Markko Martin.

Marcus Gronholm has clutch problems but still finishes the day as the race leader.

Petter Solberg continues to have engine problems (overheating).

LEG 2

SS 7 : PLATRES – SAITTAS 1 - 11.11 km

Fastest stage time for Petter Solberg.

Gilles Panizzi moves passed Janne Tuohino for seventh place.

SS 8 : FOINI – KOILINIA 1 - 30.33 km

Another fastest stage time for Petter Solberg.

Kristian Sohlberg retires because of engine problems.

Harri Rovanpera loses more than 30 seconds because of gearbox problems.

Markko Martin moves up to second place.

SS 9 : GALATAREIA – PENTALI 1 - 13.32 km

Sébastien Loeb scores the fastest stage time and takes away second place from Markko Martin.

Gilles Panizzi retires because of engine problems.

SS 10 : PLATRES – SAITTAS 2 - 11.11 km

Fastest stage time for Petter Solberg, who moves up to eighth place.

30-second penalty for Harri Rovanpera (late to leave service park).

SS 11 : FOINI – KOILINIA 2 - 30.33 km

Stage cancelled for safety reasons: too many spectators.

SS 12 : GALATAREIA – PENTALI 2 - 13.32 km

Fastest stage time for Sebastien Loeb.

Antony Warmbold goes off the road and retires.

Marcus Gronholm is still the leader at the end of leg 2.

LEG 3

SS 13 : VAVATSINIA - MANDRA KAMBIOU 1 - 25.24 km

Fastest stage time for rally leader Marcus Gronholm.

Petter Solberg moves ahead of Janne Tuohino to take seventh place in the overall standings.

Mikko Hirvonen loses around one minute forty seconds after hitting a rock and damaging his power steering.

SS 14 : MACHERAS - AGIOI VAVATSINIAS 1 - 12.94 km

Another stage win for Marcus Gronholm.

Harri Rovanpera is having gearbox problems and loses around thirty seconds.

Mikko Hirvonen loses around one minute forty seconds with the same power steering problem.

SS 15 : KELLAKI - FOINIKARIA 1 - 9.49 km

Fifth stage win of the rally for Sebastien Loeb.

Henning Solberg spins twice, losing around one minute forty.

SS 16 : VAVATSINIA - MANDRA KAMBIOU 2 - 25.24 km

Another stage win for Marcus Gronholm.

SS 17 : MACHERAS - AGIOI VAVATSINIAS 2 - 12.94 km

Fastest stage time for Sebastien Loeb.

Henning Solberg retires because of electrical problems.

SS 18 : KELLAKI - FOINIKARIA 2 - 9.49 km

Sixth stage victory for Petter Solberg.

First win of the season for Marcus Gronholm.

First win ever for the Peugeot 307 WRC.

Sebastien Loeb finishes in second position.

Markko Martin finishes in third position but loses the championship lead in favour of Marcus Gronholm.


Standings after Cyprus

DRIVER
1. M. Gronholm (FIN) 5 8 3 8 10 -- 34
2. S. Loeb (F) 10 10 0 5 8 -- 33
3. M. Martin (EE) 8 2 10 6 6 -- 32
4. P. Solberg (N) 2 6 5 10 3-- 26
5. C. Sainz (SP) 0 4 6 3 5-- 18
6. F. Duval (B) 6 0 8 0 0 -- 14
7. M. Hirvonen (FIN) 0 0 4 2 2 -- 8
8. H. Rovanpera (FIN) 0 4 4 -- 8
9. J. Tuohino (FIN) -- 6
10. F. Loix (B) 4 0 -- 4
11. G. Panizzi (F) 3 0 1 0 0 -- 4
12. H. Solberg (N) 3 0 0 -- 3
13. J. Valimaki (FIN) 0 2 -- 2
14. D. Carlsson (SW) 1 1 -- 2
15. O. Burri (CH) 1-- 1