"I pushed pretty hard!": Sébastien Loeb finds his rhythm on the Desafío Ruta

Confidence is gradually returning to Sébastien's camp. LoebAt the end of the third stage of the Desafiío Ruta, the Alsatian displayed a satisfied face after a clean and controlled day, concluding without the slightest major problem in second position.

"It was a very good day.""That summed it up," the French driver summarized at the finish. Having been burned by the difficulties encountered since the start, Loeb admitted to having adopted a more measured approach in the most treacherous sections. "I was a little too cautious on the rocky sections to avoid another puncture."he explained, before significantly increasing the pace once these sections were passed.

The nine-time world rally champion then asserted that he had "pushed quite hard" For the remainder of the race, the sensations were considered very positive. A significant boost in confidence as the race began to enter a more strategic phase.

Confidence gives Loeb wings

Alongside him, Édouard Boulanger also gave a very positive assessment of this third special stage. Finishing second overall, the French co-driver emphasized both the enjoyment of driving and the quality of the terrain. "It was a pretty good day."he explained, praising in particular the landscapes "magnificent" throughout the entire route. Boulanger also felt that the navigation had offered a good balance, " pleasant " Overall, despite a few issues "a bit rough"without ever becoming truly treacherous.

The Frenchman also recognized the importance of the starting position, the traces left by previous competitors having facilitated certain note-taking and orientations in the more open sectors.

Without describing this special stage as particularly complex in terms of navigation, Édouard Boulanger nevertheless ranked it among the most memorable he had experienced so far in terms of visual appeal and racing enjoyment.

A solid day then for the French duo, who seem to be gradually finding their rhythm in this edition of the Desafio Ruta and are now in the Top 5, 8 minutes behind the leader. Toyota New leaders Henk Lategan and Brett Cummings

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