Loeb holds off Martin

Loeb has led since the second stage of the first day

Citroen's Sebastien Loeb has fended off a determined challenge from the Ford of Markko Martin on the penultimate day of the Catalunya Rally.

Frenchman Loeb is 20.8secs in front with six stages to come on Sunday.

Estonian Martin, who set three fastest stage times on Saturday, is 36.7secs clear of Peugeot's Gilles Panizzi with series leader Carlos Sainz fourth.

Sainz would lose the series lead to Citroen team-mate Loeb if the positions stay the same until the rally's end.

Sainz has fallen to more than a minute behind Loeb, and the Spaniard is having to fight off a challenge from Francois Duval of Ford, who is 3.6secs adrift in fifth place.

Loeb said: "Its been a good day. There were no big problems, but we have to push, because Markko and Gilles Panizzi are pushing a lot."

Richard Burns, tied for second in the championship standings with Subaru's Petter Solberg three points behind Sainz, is sixth in his Peugeot.

Martin has been chipping into Loeb's lead throughout the day and looks set to mount a final victory assault on Sunday.

Martin is putting on a charge in his Ford Latest race positions Day one report

With the championship lead at stake and only one event left after this one, Loeb will be desperate to hold him off and secure as many points as possible.

Martin said he thinks Loeb has enough in hand to hold him off.

"I think Sebastien is a quick enough driver to keep the advantage he has. I just have to make sure Im there if he slips." he said.

Scot Colin McRae is seventh for Citroen while Peugeot's reigning world champion Marcus Gronholm has charged up to eighth after a difficult first day in which he was hampered by an incorrect tyre choice.

Gronholm was as low as 14th on the first day after his error.

Solberg is 10th after being hit with a 50-second time penalty on day one.

The drivers compete in eight stages in the course of Saturday, the penultimate day of the rally.