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RALLY

Rally champ Loeb set for icy Swedish opener

The World Rally Championship 2011 season starts in Karlstad in central Sweden on Thursday and defending champion Sébastien Loeb is taking nothing for granted in the wintry conditions.

Rally champ Loeb set for icy Swedish opener

The Swedish event is the only true snow race on the 2011 World Rally Championship’s (WRC) 13-leg circuit, but France’s Loeb, who has won the last seven drivers titles was more concerned about the effects of the close season revamp than weather conditions.

“I’ll be taking it one race at a time because with a new car, new rules and a new teammate that’s a great deal of change and a great deal of unknowns,” said Loeb, who will defend his title in a brand-new Citroën DS3, rather than the Citroën C4 of the past four seasons.

“The new car suits me, its been reliable in the trials, which is encouraging, and I was also agreeably surprised by the motor, the balance and the handling. All that makes me feel everything will go well,” said Loeb, who turns 37 on February 26th.

Loeb added that he expected Ford to do well in Sweden, explaining that everyone knew he himself was more adept on gravel, a surface that makes up nine of the 13 legs.

The defending champion also insisted there was no pecking order with new teammate Sébastien Ogier.

The race features 11 specials over 351km, which are each run twice on snow which is too slippery to walk on but where the cars are expected to hit a hair-raising 200km/h.

The line-up for the rally in the Karlstad region, which concludes on Sunday, will feature Norway’s Citroën driver the 2003 world champion Petter Solberg, who despite limited trials in the new car is a proven master on the snow.

Solberg can also look forward to two specials in his homeland on day one. He took eight podiums last season to come third overall, but is without a win since 2005. Also in the Citroën line-up is 2007 Formula One champion Kimi Räikkönen, who came 10th last year in his second rally season.

But Ford have won this rally since 2006 and certain pundits feel Finland’s Jari-Matti Latvala, runner-up to Loeb in the overall last year and also winner here in Sweden in 2009, will be hard to beat this time out in his Fiesta RS.

Another Ford pilot, last year’s runaway winner Mikko Hirvonen will seek a repeat of his success, which might put his disappointing season behind him, while Swede PG Andersson also does well on home snow.

Technical rule changes to car requirements will mean more reliance on driver skill and marks the end of certain automatic functions. The cars will also be shorter but broader, making them more agile on challenging turns.

The action gets under way at a gala Thursday night, with the 14 cars that have chosen to take part here, set for punishing conditions in challenging stages on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

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PROTEST

IN PICTURES: Police in Berlin halt anti-coronavirus protest

Police in Berlin have called off an 18,000-strong protest against coronavirus restrictions, saying protesters had not worn masks, as required by a court.

IN PICTURES: Police in Berlin halt anti-coronavirus protest
A protester (right) holds a sign saying 'mask off'. Photo: AFP

“Unfortunately, we have no other option,” Berlin police wrote on Twitter. “We've approached the leader of the demonstration and informed him that his assembly will be dissolved by the police. All the measures taken so far have not led to compliance with the conditions.”

By 3pm, many of the protesters had sat down at the junction of Friedrichstrasse and Torstrasse, with police slowly removing them by force.
 
Photo:  Bernd Von Jutrczenka / dpa
 
The crowd gathered in the morning at Brandenburg Gate on Saturday morning, with demonstrators shouting “Open the gate” and “We are the people,” chants taken from those of the pro-democracy movement in former East Germany.
 
The protest was called by Querdenken 711 (Lateral Thinking 711), a Stuttgart-based libertarian group founded by the software entrepreneur Michael Ballweg, which has some 16,000 followers on Facebook. But far-right groups and those against vaccination have also got involved. 
 
Robert F Kennedy Jr,  the nephew of assassinated US president John F Kennedy and a prominent anti-vaxxer was set to speak at the event. 
 
 
Protesters at the Brandenburg gate brandishing signs declaring German politicians 'guilty'. Photo: Kay Nietfeld / dpa
 
A large procession began making its way down the Friedrichstrasse shopping street. Photo: Paul Zinken/dpa
 
 
Some protesters held signs asking people to question the need to anti-infection measures, calling for people to have a more open mind. Here protester hold signs saying “question your fear”. 
 
Photo: AFP
 

The demonstration brought together a disparate mix of the far-right, the far-left, opponents of vaccination, and in many areas had a celebratory party atmosphere, with drums, chanting and cheering. 

 
Counter-protesters came out around Humbolt University, chanting “You're marching alongside Nazis”. 
 

Others held signs saying “Stop the corona-deniers”. 
 
Photo: John Macdougall/AFP
 
“Even Patrick know that Nazis are shit,” reads this counter-protester's banner. 
 
Photo: John Macdougall/AFP
 
Most of those protesting against coronavirus curbs refused to wear masks or keep their distance. 
 
Photo: John Macdougall/AFP