Finn Harri Rovanpera moved into the lead in the Rally of Sweden today after negotiating the snow-covered roads while tour-time Champion Tommi Makinen crashed out after his Peugeot collided with a wall of snow.
Rovanpera, last year's winner, opened up a 10.1-second advantage over Peugeot team mate Marcus Gronholm after setting the best time on the longest stage of the rally, the daunting 40.51-kilometre 'Granberget 1' run.
The 35-year-old had the best of the conditions, running 13th on the road after the front runners cleared any loose snow.
"The rally is still very early, but my position (on the road) is definitely helping me," Rovanpera said.
"We have made a good start and everything is good for the Peugeot cars."
Makinen on the otherhand, who won the opening race of this year's world rally championship in Monte Carlo in January, came off the road before hitting the snow bank on the fourth stage in Hagfors, just north of the rally's base.
The Finn's Subaru suffered serious front end damage in the crash which made it impossible for him to continue and will not improve on his 19th place start before the stage began. He is 1min 42secs behind race Rovanpera.
Finn Gronholm had been quickest on the opening 'Sagen 1' stage and held his lead after the second stage, despite Rovanpera posting the best time on the second run, 'Rammen 1'.
Gronholm holds a 52.8-second advantage over Finn Jani Paasonen, who holds an impressive third-place on his WRC debut for Mitsubishi.
Scotland’s Colin McRae moved up to fourth place for Ford with Hyundai's Belgian Freddy Loix and Finn Sebastien Lindholm, driving a privately-entered Peugeot, fifth and sixth respectively.
Championship leader Finn Tommi Makinen continued to struggle in deep snow after being first out on the roads and lies 19th for Subaru.
World champion Richard Burns lost a minute when he left the road on the 'Granberget 1' run and the Peugeot driver now lies 18th overall.
Frenchman Sebastien Loeb also lost time when his Citroen spun on the same stage and is 25th.