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New Zealand - leg 1: Good start puts Marcus in P1.

Friday, 31st August 2007

Rally New Zealand - Day 1 report: Marcus Gronholm heads Sebastien Loeb at the end of day 1 by 13 seconds - despite suffering from the 'flu.

In the Production Car World Rally Championship category, Armindo Araujo ended the day in P1 in his Mitsubishi Lancer, 33.5 seconds up on Niall McShea's Impreza.

Evgeniy Vertunov completes the PWRC podium, while Fumio Nutahara, Martin Rauam and Juho Hanninen are fourth, fifth and sixth. Hanninen led after SS2, but then lost time in SS4.

The action now continues on Saturday. The second leg is the longest of the rally and is based north-west of Hamilton, with many sections hugging the spectacular Tasman Sea coastline.

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After re-starting at 06.50 hours [local time], drivers tackle three tests in quick succession near Port Waikato before a second pass over the Mystery Creek super special stage. The afternoon takes competitors slightly further south for two tests based around Te Akau. They return to Hamilton for the final overnight halt at 18.29 hours [local time].

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