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World Rally Championship 2009 - Australia

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PROTESTORS halted the Australian round of the World Rally Championship on Friday after hurling rocks onto the course.

Drivers were forced to pull up at the end of stage five at Kyogle, south-west of Kingscliff on Friday while rally officials frantically tried to clear stage six.

Competitors were also confused after encountering people in the middle of the road waving yellow flags, unsure if they were officials or protesters.

The 'No Rally' and Peacebus groups have staged a campaign leading up to Rally Australia, condemning the event for disrupting the environment and scaring wildlife.

Rally organisers were considering skipping the stage and moving onto stage seven to try to circumvent problems.

Court action by protest groups to try to stop the event failed but local council workers have been kept busy cleaning up roads spray-painted with graffiti.

Five-times world champion Sebastien Loeb said he felt "sorry sometimes to be here but I have to".

"Some people don't like us in front of their house but I didn't ask to come here. I can understand why some people don't like the rally but I have to do my job," Loeb said.

Meanwhile, Jari-Matti Latvala in a Ford Focus is the early overall leader after five stages, with a slender 1.2 second advantage over the Citroen of Sebastien Ogier.

Loeb's Citroen was running third, one spot ahead of arch rival Mikko Hirvonen of Finland but the Frenchman reported he was not completely happy with his C4.

"I am not sure what is wrong with my car, it is not right," Loeb said.

"It is not a good feeling with the car."

Latvala maintained his buffer, despite an earlier problem and intermittent rain.

"I hit a hole on stage four and I have damaged the steering but at least I am not troubled by the rain," Latvala said.