Colin McRae completed an extraordinary comeback yesterday when he won the Rally of Italy in San Remo and kept alive his challenge for the world championship thanks to Subaru team orders.

Rallying

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Rallying

Britain's Richard Burns takes a sharp turn during the Acropolis Rally yesterday as he tries to maintain his challenge to Finland's Juha Kankkunen. Kankkunen, who had started the day with a 27sec lead over the Mitsubishis of Burns and Finland's Tommi Makinen, had seen his advantage over Burns cut to 17sec at the end of the 10th stage, but slowly rebuilt it to 37sec over Sainz as the teams stopped overnight in Kamena Vourla. Burns was unable to match the Fords and, after a spin on the 12th stage, was overtaken by Sainz on the final stage of the day, the 14th of the rally. A victory for Sainz today would put him back in contention for the world championship, although Kankkunen will be keen to secure his first win since the Rally of Portugal in 1994

Best Discovery

Tommi Makinen, whose Argentina rally victory proved the turning point of last season and set him on course for the world title, has his sights on a repeat triumph.

Colin McRae yesterday took every conceivable risk to beat the Spaniard Carlos Sainz and win the Tour of Corsica rally. The 1995 world champion, who had started the final day in fourth position, 22 seconds behind the Spaniard's Ford Escort, set the best time in three of the last six timed stages for a brilliant victory in his Subaru Impreza.

Rallying

Rallying

Tommi Makinen of Finland, the reigning world champion, heads into Monday's Catalunya Rally in Lloret del Mar, the fifth round of the championship, locked in a thrilling three-way battle with Britain's Colin McRae, who won this rally last year, and Spaniard Carlos Sainz.

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Tommi Makinen, the world champion, yesterday won the Portuguese Rally to take the lead in the drivers' championship. Makinen, in a Mitsubishi, finished 4min 5sec clear of the Belgian, Freddy Loix, driving a Toyota. Armin Schwarz, of Germany, was third in a Ford.

Colin McRae, the world championship leader, and Spain's Carlos Sainz were both forced to retire from the Portuguese Rally yesterday.