Andreas Mikkelsen leads the Cyprus Rally by 26.8 seconds half way through the second and final leg.
Co-driven by Ola Fløene, Andreas opened up a 32.9 second lead after setting fastest time on SS6 and 7, before a controlled and calculated run through the difficult SS8 in his ŠKODA UK Motorsport Fabia S2000.
A lunchtime service halt in Pafos now follows, before the three mountain stages are repeated in the afternoon.
“We’re trying to be neat and tidy and are not taking the biggest risks,” said Andreas. “Stage eight wasn’t easy, as it switched back and fore from gravel to Tarmac all the time. We made no mistakes, we’re not going flat out and we’ve having fun. We’ve had no dramas at all today – everything is going to plan.”
Positions after SS8
1. Andreas Mikkelsen/Ola Fløene (ŠKODA Fabia S2000)….1hr 46mins 13.3secs
2. Nasser Al-Attiyah/Giovanni Bernacchini (Ford Fiesta S2000)….+26.8secs
3. Jan Kopecký/Pavel Dresler (ŠKODA Fabia S2000)….+48.2secs
4. Patrik Sandell/Staffan Parmander (ŠKODA Fabia S2000)….+2mins 28.6secs
5. Freddy Loix/Frédéric Miclotte (ŠKODA Fabia S2000) +2mins 41.7secs
6. Karl Kruuda/Martin Järveoja (ŠKODA Fabia S2000)….+3mins 52.2secs
