Loeb leads Monte Carlo Rally

Frenchman Sebastien Loeb is on course for a second successive victory in the Monte Carlo Rally after grabbing the lead in the season opener in the French Alps yesterday. The 29-year-old Citroen driver seized the advantage on the final stage of a day dominated by Finland's former world champion Marcus Gronholm in the new Peugeot.

Gronholm won two of the first four special stages as the 307 car, which has replaced the 206 in which he won the championship in 2000 and 2002, enjoyed an encouraging debut. But Gronholm paid for having the wrong tyres in the final timed test along the tight and twisty Alpine roads which were covered in snow and ice and he lost almost 30 seconds.

Gronholm dropped to third overall, almost 19 seconds adrift of pre-rally favourite Loeb who leads the Ford Focus of Estonia's Markko Martin by 18.3secs.

Loeb, who finished runner-up in the championship last year after being ordered by Citroen to play safe in the title decider in South Wales to ensure they won the manufacturers' crown, also won two of the stages.

Officials had to scrap the first special stage of the season for safety reasons because too many spectators has headed into the Alps to watch the cars speed past at around 100mph.

Spain's Carlos Sainz is fourth for Citroen - who enjoyed a clean sweep last year when Colin McRae took second place - with Belgium's Francois Duval fifth in the other Focus. Reigning champion Petter Solberg began the defence of his drivers' title by finishing sixth overall. The Norwegian complained that his Subaru was acting as a road cleaner as he ended the day one minute 52 seconds adrift of Loeb.

Gronholm had considered quitting at the end of this season but is now poised to agree a new deal with Peugeot. The early pace of the 307 will also have fired up his enthusiasm to carry on.

"I am very close to signing with Peugeot for another year, but we will see," said Gronholm. "Right now my focus is on the first round of the championship. People stopped talking about us and Peugeot towards the end of last year. I hope they will be talking about us again soon."

Irish driver Eamonn Boland is lying in 22nd spot after a superb opening day, just over 12 minutes down in a Subaru. Ulsterman Kris Meeke, hoping to impress team bosses and land a top-class drive next season, is in 25th place in his Opel Corsa. Meeke is almost 16 minutes adrift of Loeb.

Filed by Shane Murray