1.
GV TILT DOWN crowds at Oslo start
0.05

2.
SV Car 46 at start TILT up others arriving
0.11

3.
SV Car 46 driver handed papers
0.14

4.
SV PAN Car 46 away
0.20

5.
CU Time-keeper's clock
0.22

6.
SV PAN Car 61 away
0.30

7.
SV Car 69 away PAN (2 shots)
0.38

8.
SV PAN car 234 round bend & along road
0.42

9.
SV PAN car 241 round bend & up road
0.50

10.
SV PAN Andrew Cowan away from Glasgow start
0.59

11.
SV PAN Rosemary Smith
1.07



Initials CM/BOB/SGM/0357 CM/BOB/SGM/0420


SPORT: MOTOR RALLYING

Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved

Background: The 1971 Monte Carlo motor rally started on Friday (22 Jan), with 26 competitors setting out from Oslo, to be followed later in the night by drivers from nine other starting points throughout Europe.

Eight drivers started from Glasgow, the smallest British contingent since before the Second World War.

First away of eight drivers who started from Glasgow was Andrew Cowan, winner of the London to Sydney rally, driving a British Leyland car. Another well-known British starter was Rosemary Smith in a Lancia.

The 283 cars entered in this year's rally have to cover 3000 kilometres (1,864 miles) to Monaco, followed by a 1,526 KM (948 mile) common route and a 669 KM 416 mile) complementary test.

Heavy overnight snow in the mountains of Southern France promised a difficult drive in the later stages of the rally for the drivers due to arrive in Monte Carlo on Monday.

But in Monte Carlo itself bright sunshine bathed the fashionable resort all day as the 37 teams due to start from there early on Saturday morning made the final checks on their cars.

A reconnaissance carried out by rally organisers of Friday showed that Monte Carlo starters would hit snow and ice almost immediately after leaving the Mediterranean resort.

The snow-covered French Massif central mountain range stands as a major obstacle to drivers starting from Glasgow, Rheims, Frankfurt and Almeria.

Fog and black ice may hamper starters from Oslo and Warsaw, but drivers setting off from Marrakesh seem likely to have a relatively easy run until they join up with the other rally entrants at Gap in the French Alps.