After wrapping up an historic fifth victory on the Ypres Rally, Freddy Loix has set his sights on getting another top result this weekend in Russia, the latest round in the Intercontinental Rally Challenge.
Loix dominated his home event two weeks ago, eventually taking the spoils by over a minute and now he is keen to maintain that momentum on the Vyborg-based round in the heartland of the Russian Federation.
Whereas the Belgian stages require precise driving though and took place on asphalt, those in Russia are very different and it is all about a good flow and rhythm with the car so that it 'dances' from one corner to the next over gravel tests said to be similar to those in Finland.
"Winning the last rally in Ypres was a big boost to my confidence and so I think that our season really starts from now on," said Loix. "I think Russia will be a very interesting rally, although I really don't know what to expect.
"But I know that the car will be very good as always and that the stages will be quick, so I'm looking forward to it. We need another good result if we want to finish in the top three of the series at the end of the year."
One of the most notable features of the entry list for the Rally Russia meanwhile is that IRC series leader Luca Rossetti will not be contesting the event due to commitments at home in Italy.
This presents a golden opportunity for Loix's Peugeot Belgium team-mate Nicolas Vouilloz, who is just four points behind Rossetti after finishing on the podium in every IRC event so far.
However one of the pre-event favourites is Anton Alen, who feels at home over the sinuous stages and who took a resounding win last year.
"We had a very good run last year, so obviously my aim is to try and do that again this time," said the Abarth man. "A lot will depend on the condition of the stages: if the conditions are nice and clean then we will be able to push at our hardest straight away.
![Freddy Loix [Pic credit: IRC]](http://pix.crash.net/thumbs/366635.jpg)
