WRC: Meeke holds on to claim Portugal win

Omnisports

May 21, 2016 11:00 PM

Overnight leader Kris Meeke successfully navigated the final four stages at the Rally de Portugal to claim his second WRC win.

___5062892___https:______static.pulse.com.gh___webservice___escenic___binary___5062892___2016___5___22___18___krismeeke-cropped_lyblfr9ccmzz121sq3xuvejyk_2

Kris Meeke secured his second World Rally Championship victory on the final day of the Rally de Portugal after holding off the charge of Andreas Mikkelsen.

Meeke held a 45.3 second advantage going into the closing four stages of the fifth rally of 2016 and was able to keep his Citroen out of trouble to claim top spot on the podium.

Having done the hard work in the previous days, Meeke could afford to let Mikkelsen (Volkswagen II) and championship leader Sebastien Ogier (Volkswagen) share the spoils on Sunday's stages without losing his lead.

The Briton finished the final stage in six minutes and 50 seconds to complete his first win since the Rally Argentina in 2015 with a margin 29.7secs to Mikkelsen.

"An almost perfect weekend, huge thanks to my team," Meeke told the WRC's official website.

"We made the most of the position we were in and I couldn't have done any more. It shows the DS 3 is still a great car.

"For me too it's another step. I'm really, really excited about 2017."

It was a third podium of the season for Mikkelsen who boosts his championship standing - moving up to second - while Ogier's 18 points extends his advantage at the top to 47 points.

Omnisports

Enhance Your Pulse News Experience!

Get rewards worth up to $20 when selected to participate in our exclusive focus group. Your input will help us to make informed decisions that align with your needs and preferences.

I've got feedback!