21/01/01: Overnight leader Colin McRae's chances of winning the Monte Carlo Rally were dashed today as he lost more than 13 minutes with a suspected throttle cable problem on the 12th stage.
McRae, who held a narrow 3.5 second lead over Finland's Tommi Makinen after the second leg, was unable to restart his engine on his Ford Focus WRC 20 kms into the run.
The Scot worked on the car for several minutes in an attempt to remain in the event and eventually managed to finish the stage.
The incident leaves Makinen, winner of the event for the past two years, with a lead of more than a minute over second-placed Spaniard Carlos Sainz with just three stages remaining. - Reuters