Motor Racing: McRae under attack
Colin McRae's lead of the Monte Carlo Rally came under immediate attack when he resumed his victory quest in the French Alps this morning.
The 32-year-old Scot saw Finland's Tommi Makinen reduce his deficit by eight seconds to just over 22 seconds on the first of today's five special stages.
The battle for victory tomorrow is coming down to a straight fight between the Ford Focus of McRae and Makinen, who has won the event for the past two years in his Mitsubishsi.
But with temperatures plummeting overnight and leaving the mountain roads covered in black ice, today's stages could see almost as many retirements as yesterday's opening day.
Carlos Sainz, who resumed in third spot, dropped further behind the top two on the 14.5 mile long test and is now more than 54 seconds adrift of his Ford team-mate.
Germany's Armin Schwarz is now fourth for Skoda - although a further minute adrift - following Subaru's decision to withdraw Richard Burns before the resumption because of engine problems.
McRae's hopes of becoming the first Brit to win the event for 33 years could rest on the feared timed test between Sisteron and Thoard which the drivers were set to tackle next and again later in the day.
The 21-mile section is the longest and most spectacular of the rally with a nerve-jangling descent down the mountain which will be even more dangerous in the icy conditions.
