Dani Sordo hits the ground running
A fastest time for Dani Sordo and Marc Marti helped the Spaniards emerge from the first two stages of the 2009 Acropolis Rally of Greece in second place. Their Citroën Total WRT team-mates Sébastien Loeb and Daniel Elena follow in fifth place, while Evgeny Novikov/Dale Moscatt and Sébastien Ogier/Julien Ingrassia are respectively sixth and seventh. Conrad Rautenbach and Daniel Barritt round off the provisional top-10.

The five Citroën C4 WRCs left the host town Loutraki this morning en route for the remote service zone in Itea where the crews and four mechanics were only able to work in a clearly defined area using stocks carried inside the cars, while six new tyres were authorised.

Dani Sordo and Marc Marti notched up a fastest time on a round of the FIA World Rally Championship for the fifth time running, and the Spanish driver was particularly pleased with his start to the weekend: "I am very happy. I feel very comfortable and I’ve got a good feeling with my Citroën C4 WRC. I am disappointed that we didn’t do more stages this morning because I think we could have done even better. I did a great deal of fitness training to prepare myself for the heat and I feel in perfect shape for the moment."

The provisional World Championship leaders Sébastien Loeb and Daniel Elena had the enviable privilege of running first on the road this morning: "We haven’t had any problems and I think the current gap was predictable, although we lost less ground than initially estimated. Maybe I pushed a little too hard on the first stage, but the second one went better. The tracks here are very challenging and very slippery. We are having to sweep a clean line through the top-coating of loose gravel for those running behind us on the road, and I hope we won’t drop so much time this afternoon."

Meanwhile, all three Citroën Junior Team crews figured inside the provisional top-10 at the break in Itea.

"We went well this morning, apart from a small mistake on an asphalt portion on the first stage," reported Evgeny Novikov who is sixth overall. "Everything is OK."

Sébastien Ogier is just 9.4 seconds behind the Russian in the current standings: "We took the first stage a little too cautiously. Then, on the second, I misinterpreted a note and we went straight on at a junction, but it didn’t cost us too much time. Apart from that, the morning went well."

Conrad Rautenbach is 10th, 25.1s behind the reigning Junior World Champion: "Everything is OK. No problems whatsoever to report this morning."

The afternoon’s programme features three stages, including a second attempt at Thiva. The first car is due back in Loutraki at 7.13pm.

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