UPDATE 1-Rallying-Loeb unhurt after head-on collision in Jordan

(Adds Loeb quotes and positions after second leg)

AMMAN, April 26 (Reuters) - Citroen's world champion Sebastien Loeb crashed out of the Rally of Jordan after a bizarre head-on collision on Saturday, ending the Frenchman's hopes of a third race win in a row.

The accident left Loeb's Spanish team mate Dani Sordo in the lead after the second leg, 8.5 seconds ahead of Ford's Finnish driver Jari-Matti Latvala.

Four-times champion Loeb collided with a privately-entered Citroen driven by Zimbabwean Conrad Rautenbach on a narrow, blind corner after the 11th stage.

Loeb, who had taken the lead earlier on Saturday and was moving comfortably clear of the rest, was leaving the stage while Rautenbach was just starting it.

Neither driver was hurt but both cars were badly damaged in the impact. The governing International Automobile Federation (FIA) said Loeb would re-start in the final leg on Sunday.

"It's difficult to explain and very stupid," Loeb said of the accident on the official wrc.com Web site.

"The start and the end of SS11 are very close together, so after I finished the stage I was driving away from it and Rautenbach was heading to the start on the same piece of road," he explained.

"He was a bit late I think, so he had to go a bit fast. I was not very concentrated on the road section because I had just come out of the stage. When we saw each other it was too late.