Rally of Croatia stage cancelled after crash

The ninth stage of the Rally of Croatia, the first of Saturday morning, was cancelled after Olivier Solberg crashed his Hyundai.

Neither Solberg nor his co-driver Elliott Edmondson were hurt.

The cancellation deprived Thierry Neuville of an early chance to regain time.

The Belgian driver had been second-fastest overall in Friday's eight stages, but was also too quick on public roads between stages. He was penalised a minute which dropped him top fourth overall, 2min 4sec behind leader Kalle Rovanpera in a Toyota.

Neuville was first fined 1,900 euros for hitting 156kph in an 80kph zone as he raced towards the rally service area in Zagreb after his Hyundai stopped with alternator problems.

Late on Friday, stewards also added a minute to the Belgian's overall time after learning that the car's tracking device showed a string of severe speeding infringements over 11 km of road.

Neuville said his mechanical problem meant he had been "obliged to overspeed", the World Rally Championship site reported, although he knew he was breaking traffic laws, He said he had not endangered anyone because the road was deserted.

The drivers were also ordered to perform two days of public service.