No Need to Finish; Sebastien Loeb walks to the WRC crown.(Motorsports)

Byline: ANTHONY PEACOCK

Up until Sept. 26, Citroen driver Sebastien Loeb was enjoying the best season of his brilliant career. The Frenchman had won eight of the 12 rallies held up to that point, finishing second on the remaining four. Life was good. Then came a mountain-bike accident that broke his right arm in four places.

Loeb was out for the rest of the season, but he reasoned that a 35-point championship lead with just four rallies to go would probably be enough to secure a third straight title-with a bit of luck. It was settled when Ford driver Marcus Gronholm crashed at Rally Australia, the season's third-to-last, to rule himself out of the title race.

Loeb's dominance meant the championship was never in doubt, although Gronholm could match him for pace if not consistency. The two stood head and shoulders above their rivals, turning the season into a two-horse race from the outset. Gronholm won the first two rallies of the year, but from then on, Loeb never looked back.

While nobody was in their league, people noticed their young teammates. The most impressive was probably Loeb's sidekick, Spaniard Dani Sordo.

The 23-year-old made his WRC debut ...