Peugeot takes dramatic win

Rockenfeller started from the pit lane having had a fuel feed problem and through clever pit work they got back into the lead of the race. Rinaldo Capello had an accident with Vanina Ickx which sent the Audi R10 TDI flying through the air at 280km/h, though he was able to return to the pits and, with Allan McNish, continued to finish sixth.

The Scottish driver was lucky to escape unhurt as Stephane Ortelli's ORECA Courage narrowly missed his head mid-accident in the final hour. The Frenchman's car snapped sideways under braking for the first chicane and rolled many times, hitting the barrier on the exit of the first chicane but was later diagnosed with nothing more than a broken ankle.

That accident brought out the safety car and bunched up the field, Rockenfeller leading

from Lamy, and the German looked to have the advantage after Lamy was penalised for overtaking a back marker in a bid to keep up with the Audi. However, the two continued to race, and collided at the first corner, puncturing Rockenfeller's front tyre.

The German completed the lap slowly, which allowed Lamy to take his penalty and return to the track before the Audi even made it to the pits.

That decided the race, but Christophe Tinseau and Stuart Hall fought for third place overall in their Pescarolo and Creation. Hall, who switched from the sister car following Jamie Campbell-Walter's accident in qualifying, appeared to have the pace to claim the position, but on the last lap the Pescarolo out-braked him into the first corner, and Tinseau went on to finish third, just two seconds clear.

Gene and Minassian recovered to finish fifth and take vital points towards the drivers' title, while Ickx, DUncan Tappy and Martin Short finished a creditable sevent in class.

The Lola Aston Martin of Stefan Mucke and Jan Charouz showed strongly in the opening stages, challenging McNish's Audi, but had an ignition problem in the second hour and they were classed eighth in category.