WRC: Corsica to resume with delay

Stage three of the World Rally Championship's Tour of Corsica will go ahead with a delay, but conditions are deteriorating again in the area.

The second stage of the WRC's French event was canceled as torrential rain resulted in landslides and floods, primarily affecting the roads leading to the competitive sections.

There was intense debate over whether the rest of leg one should be abandoned altogether, but organisers are now going ahead with the 22.63-mile Francardo-Sermano stage at 3:30 p.m. local time, 43 minutes later than originally scheduled.

Although the weather improved for a spell, there is heavy rain over the stage again now and it is understood there is unhappiness among WRC crews about the decision to run the stage.

A leading co-driver said: "They've sent a digger through to shovel the stuff off the road. There's rocks and mud all over the road and we're going in. The weather crews say you can't see anything in there, the cloud's come down and it's pouring with rain."

Drivers will at least have up-to-date information about the road conditions as the weather crews have been able to pass through the stage and send details back.

The field has now moved through to service, with co-drivers making substantial alterations to their pacenotes based on weather crews' feedback.

Stage three is the last scheduled for Friday under Corsica's unusual itinerary of just nine, relatively long, stages in total through the weekend.

Robert Kubica and Sebastien Ogier are tied for the outright lead after the single stage that has run so far.

Originally on Autosport.com