Rallying: Full Monte for Delecour

FRANCOIS DELECOUR survived a brief scare during the last night of the Monte Carlo rally before claiming his first victory in the event yesterday.

The Frenchman, driving a Ford Escort, began 1min 33sec ahead of the world champion, Juha Kankkunen of Finland, but lost 28 seconds on the first of the six night stages on the Turini Pass.

On the next stage, over the Col de la Couillole, however, Kankkunen suffered a 180-degree spin and failed to make up any time, leaving Delecour to give Ford their first Monte Carlo win for 41 years.

The Spaniard, Carlos Sainz, champion in 1991 when Delecour had a mechanical problem on the last stage, was third, while the former Tour de France winner, Stephen Roche, finished 57th in his first rally.

Details, Sporting Digest, page 35