By Motorsport.com staff

Frenchman Sebastien Loeb scored back-to-back FIA World Rally Championships
events with victory today in Sweden.  The Citroen driver clinched the first
round Monte Carlo and remains on top of the drivers' standings as he became
the first non-nordic driver to win the icy, snowy, wintry, long, difficult
and challenging Swedish  Rally.

Marcus Gronholm, a three-time winner in Sweden finished second 46.4 seconds
adrift of the leader.  The early spin in the opening stage of the final leg
cost the former two-time WRC campion valuable seconds.

The 2003 WRC champion, Petter Solberg clinched the third podium spot on
day two and held off the challenge from Janne Tuohino on today's final leg.
The veteran Subaru driver is hoping to score points in the early going this
year to defend his title.

The Ford nominated third driver in the Swedish Rally did better than the two
Ford Focus factory teams.  The 28-year-old Finn, Tuohino finished fourth and
had been up to third yesterday before the defending champ knocked him out of
the podium position.  Tuohino did not give up the fight and was only 20.6
seconds behind Solberg.  Yet he held off the challenge of veteran rallyist
Carlos Sainz.

Citroen's Sainz took the fifth position despite having ran into problems in
today's final leg.  Non-factory Peugeot driver and brother to Petter,
Henning Solberg clinched sixth whilst early rally leader, Markko Martin
pushed his Ford into the seventh overall position.   The final point
position was taken by Daniel Carlsson who placed his Peugeot 206 second
fastest on the final stage (tied with Loeb) to finish eighth today.



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