Kalle Rovanpera extended his World Rally Championship points lead by claiming a third win of the season after surviving a brutal Acropolis Rally.
The Toyota driver was one of two Rally1 entries to complete the event's attritional 15 stages without a delay, affording the Finn a comfortable winning margin of 1m31.7s over title rival and team-mateRovanpera led the rally after winning Thursday night's asphalt super special in Athens but dropped to third when the rally tackled Greece's notoriously rough gravel roads.
Rovanpera brought himself into the victory fight after reeling off four consecutive stage wins, before being thrust into a shock lead on Saturday afternoon when Neuville and Ogier both hit trouble. Having avoided punctures or mechanical issues, Rovanpera was presented with a sizeable 2m04.4s lead which afforded the championship leader the opportunity to cruise to victory.
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