Rallying: A last spin at Monte Carlo

French sporting pride has taken something of a beating in recent times, so the start of the world rally championship in Monte Carlo today will have special significance a few kilometres away across the border.

Sebastien Loeb is a French world champion and he drives for the Citroen team that captured the world crown for France.

So who cares if an American keeps winning the Tour de France, Argentina beat the Tricolors at rugby and the French soccer team have made embarrassing exits from the World Cup and European championship?

But this may be the last season when the strains of the Marseillaise are heard on the rally podiums. Le jour de gloire seems certain to be termine when Citroen and Peugeot pull out of the championship in 2006.

This season could provide a fitting farewell. Loeb is back with a Belgian team-mate, Francois Duval, snaffled from Ford. Peugeot may be even stronger, led again by former world champion Marcus Gronholm, teamed with another Ford refugee, Markko Martin.

Subaru appear the main threat to another French triumph. Their Norwegian driver, Petter Solberg, was 36 points behind Loeb in second place last season after winning the championship in 2003.

But unlike the French teams, Subaru are in for the long haul and Solberg will have a new model of the Impreza by the time the championship reaches New Zealand in April.

The Japanese team are happy to acknowledge that their main focus is regaining the driver's crown for Solberg and they have opted for two rookies to drive second and sometimes third cars.

Stephan Sarrazin had a spell as a Formula One test driver before venturing into rallying last year. He won the French championship at his first attempt and has shown himself a tarmac wizard.

Chris Atkinson, well known in New Zealand for his drives in a Suzuki, stepped up to a Subaru for Rally Australia last season and made such an impression that he has been hired to contest 15 of the 16 rounds of the championship. He will be doing only the recce in Monte Carlo.

He brings a New Zealand connection with him. His co-driver is Glenn MacNeall, an Aussie who makes his home in Dunedin.

Ford seemed unlikely starters for 2005 after the company reviewed its motorsport commitments. Martin and Duval were allowed to depart but the programme survived and there will be a new car for 2006.

In the meantime, the Focus is the form car for tarmac, winning the last two sealed road events in 2004 with Martin at the wheel. Finn Toni Gardemeister is the lead driver this time with Czech Roman Kresta as his team-mate.

Mitsubishi, who used to rule the roost with Tommi Makinen, have made a couple of disappointing attempts at a comeback. In New Zealand last year, they came, they saw and they barely turned a wheel before their two cars were sidelined by an electrical problem.

Gilles Panizzi retains his seat but Harri Rovanpera has moved from Peugeot to add expertise on loose surfaces.

Skoda didn't venture out of Europe last season, but this year plan a full programme. The experienced Armin Schwarz is number one and he will be joined by Jani Paasonen, Janne Touhino or Alex Bengue, depending on the type of event.

Missing for the first time since 1987 will be the Spaniard Carlos Sainz, who retired at the end of the season last year.

Also gone, with no regrets, is the mille pistes system of reconnaissance, which turned Rally New Zealand into an unpopular compressed format last April.

But there are a number of new rules, designed to trim the costs of the teams and encourage other manufacturers to enter the fray. Among the major changes are:

* Cars which drop out for any reason on one leg will be able to rejoin at the start of the next leg with times assessed for missed stages five minutes slower than the fastest car.

* Rallies will be grouped in pairs and cars will be allowed only one engine for each pair. For instance, Mexico is linked with New Zealand and cars that finish in Mexico must use the same engine in New Zealand. Engines which fail in one rally can be replaced without penalty for the next but any other replacement will incur a 20s penalty.

* All drivers must use a head and neck support similar to that compulsory in Formula One. The devices have been designed to allow the peripheral vision essential to rallying.

* Restrictions have been introduced for electronic differentials and the trend will be to curb expensive developments. Limits will be placed on the number of parts to be used.

The traditional opening round in Monte Carlo itself presents a rather different challenge this year.

The oldest event in the championship calendar is based much further south than before. It ventures no further north than the southern Alpine mountains high above Monaco and temperatures will therefore be higher.

While treacherous ice can still be expected, there is less chance of snow and more prospect of cleaner roads. Following a ceremonial start in Monaco, the rally starts the following morning when crews travel 73km to the start of the first of 15 stages with a competitive distance of 314.46km.

All three legs will start and finish in Monte Carlo and the service park will be based on the harbour side.

Loeb has won the last two Monte Carlo rallies and will be favoured to complete the hat-trick. Solberg, in contrast, has competed four times and never finished better than sixth.