Citroen's Loeb wins Cyprus Rally

NICOSIA, March 15 -- Frenchman Sebastian Loeb won the Cyprus Rally in his Citroen C4 on Sunday and set a new record of 50 victories in world rally races.

The five-time world champion finished 14 special stages in 4 hours 50 minutes and 34.7 seconds, 27.2 seconds ahead of his Finn rival Mikko Hirvonen.

"It's incredible," said Loeb. "It's like a dream and I'm really happy."

He said it's not over and he will strive for the 51st triumph.

Hirvonen, who drives a Ford Focus, said he is looking forward to the next round of World Rally championship in Portugal.

Peter Solberg from Norway obtained third place. The boat carrying his Citroen Xsara was late arriving in Cyprus. He said it took the team 38 hours of solid work to get the car ready.

"I'm happy," he said. "I know it's old, but Citroen should be proud of this car."

The three-day Cyprus Rally covered 332.07 km, including both asphalt and traditional loose surfaces in the island's southeastern Troodos mountains.