Ypres is a classic Belgian closed-road event, with deceptively tricky conditions. A combination of fast stages, tight corners and dirty surfaces make the rally a real challenge, where it is all too easy to make a mistake.

Unpredictable weather only adds to the uncertainty  but the fans always turn up come rain or shine. The event is famed for its intense local promotion, and it is easy to reach from most of Europe.

 The end of the opening leg of an action-packed Ypres Rally has welcomed local hero Pieter Tsjoen back to overnight parc ferme as provisional leader in his Abarth Grande Punto. The Belgian snatched the rally lead on the final stage of the day, which was run in darkness over narrow and slippery asphalt roads.

  Another Abarth – this time the factory car of Andrea Navarra – had led the event for the first three stages, but the IRC series leader dropped down the order on SS5 when he lost 40 seconds with a rear puncture. This meant that Volkswagen driver Freddy Loix took over the lead but his advantage was short lived.

The Belgian driver had a puncture on the same stage, but he was forced to stop and change it – losing more than two minutes. These dramatic developments at the top of the leaderboard meant that Peugeot driver Nicolas Vouilloz – the winner in Turkey – claimed the lead, but his advantage over Tsjoen was just one second as they headed into the final stage. The Belgian was a full six seconds quicker than Vouilloz on the final stage, claiming the overnight lead.Luca Rossetti, in a Peugeot 207 S2000 was an admirable third. The Grande Punto of his fellow Italian Corrado Fontana did not make it that far, having crashed out on the opening stage.

Peugeot driver Luca Rossetti from Italy has taken what he described as one of the most important victories of his career. Rossetti was involved in a very close fight for the lead throughout the second day, but he kept calm under pressure to finish the event with a 18.6s second advantage – despite uncertain weather and slippery conditions that caught out many more experienced competitors.

The competition was even closer for second place. Peugeot driver Enrique Garcia Ojeda sealed the runner-up spot on the final stage – by just six-tenths of a second from Mitsubishi driver Larry Cols. Abarth’s Andrea Navarra was fourth, having lost more than half a minute with a puncture on the opening day, but the Italian was delighted to extend his series lead.

Peugeot driver Bernd Casier led the rally until the final afternoon, but despite a three-minute off-road excursion he still managed to finish fifth, ahead of the second factory Abarth of Umberto Scandola. Rounding out the points-scoring positions were Mitsubishi driver Patrick Snijers, and the similar car of Bob Colsoul.

There was an extremely high rate of attrition on what is regarded as the toughest rally in Belgium. Amongst the retirements was local hero Freddy Loix, whose chances of victory were ruined by a puncture on the opening day and a high engine temperature on his Super 2000 Volkswagen Polo today. The Rally of Turkey winner, Nicolas Vouilloz, also leaves Belgium with no points after crashing his factory Peugeot out of contention for the lead.