The Citroën Total World Rally team has monopolised the first two places on the first day of RallyBulgaria made up of four long stages, in which Sébastien Loeb and Daniel Elena set the fourquickest times. They lead the event 28.1s in front of their team-mates Dani Sordo and Marc Marti.After the start ceremony in Samokov, Rally Bulgaria got under way this morning. The itinerary of the firstday of the event consisted of two runs through a loop of two long stages. Despite the previous day’sshowers and the threatening clouds hanging over the Rila mountain range, the roads were dry overalland all the crews opted for the P-Zero hard tyres.
In the first stage, Batak Lake, Citroën put down a marker as the five C4 WRCs entered filled the first fiveplaces. Sébastien Loeb set the quickest time from Dani Sordo, Sébastien Ogier, Petter Solberg and KimiRäikkönen: “It was a very good stage. The car was well set up for the conditions and my notes wereperfect, proof of the good job we did during reconnaissance,” underlined the six-time world champion.Loeb-Elena repeated their performance in SS2 (Belmeken Lake), while Sordo had to make do with thefourth-fastest time. “I’m not happy with the car’s handling,” explained the Spaniard who was third at theend of the first loop. “In addition, I had to cope with a road that was dirty after the passage of the leadingcars, and also some understeer. We haven’t lost too much time, but we’ll have to adjust the setup in theservice park
After the halt in the service park on the Dolna Banya aerodrome, the cars restarted on hard tyres. Secondtime through the two stages Loeb continued his faultless display with another couple of fastest times.Sordo’s C4 WRC was better set up and he only gave away a few seconds to his team-mate. The Spaniardgot back into second place, which he held till the end of the day. “After the modifications we made atmidday, I found that the car was much easier to drive and more in keeping with what I’m used to. I wasable to push harder. Sébastien’s setting a searing pace today and he’s already opened up a small gap.My job will probably be a bit easier tomorrow as I’m second out on the road. We’ll try and close the gapto Seb and pull away from Petter Solberg.”
Loeb, who bagged all the quickest times on the first day, was delighted with the way things had turnedout: “Everything went off like a dream for us. The stages were a bit dirty first time through, but not toobad. We did just enough in the very tricky sections and we didn’t make any mistakes. The car wasperfect, and we’ve managed to eke out a small gap over Dani. For the moment the scenario is ideal, butI’m still a bit cautious. It’s a new rally and we’re finding out about the stages in the race. Mistakes canalways happen, or we could have a puncture, or there could be a sudden change in the weather.
