With their Citroen DS3 WRC armed with several significant upgrades to the engine, suspension, aerodynamics and gearbox, the Irish crew of Meeke and Paul Nagle expect to be fighting for the leading places on Rallye Monte Carlo that cranks into gear this evening.

Motorsport

Motorsport: Waterford’s Craig Breen begins his attack on the European Rally Championship that gets underway today with the Internationale Jannerrallye in Austria.

Irish pair Kris Meeke and Paul Nagle in their Citroen DS3 WRC made a memorable start to the World Rally Championship and hold second overall after the opening day of an incident-filled Rallye Monte Carlo.

Novak Djokovic has appointed six-time grand slam champion Boris Becker as his new head coach.

The Irish crew of Eamonn Boland/Mickey Joe Morrissey (Subaru) had an untroubled run through the penultimate leg of the Monte Carlo Rally where world champion, Sebastien Loeb (Citroen) seems set for yet another victory.

Rafael Nadal won the Monte Carlo Masters title for an eighth consecutive year with a comprehensive 6-3 6-1 victory over Novak Djokovic.

World Rally S2000 Championship leader Craig Breen (Ford Fiesta S2000) seeks to consolidate his position in Rally Sweden, which gets under way in earnest this morning.

WITH five out of six fastest stage times, Sebastien Loeb (Citroen DS3) extended his overall lead in the Monte Carlo Rally to a minute and 37.2 seconds as the battle for second between Dani Sordo (MINI WRC) and Petter Solberg (Fiesta WRC) hotted up.

IRISH interest in next month’s Monte Carlo Rally, the opening round of the 2012 World Rally Championship, has been severely diluted as Tyrone’s Kris Meeke and his Kerry co-driver, Paul Nagle do not appear on the 89-strong entry list that was announced earlier this week.

LAST weekend’s Monte Carlo Global Champions Tour (GCT) contest caused difficulties across the board and Billy Twomey feels it would be unfair to draw conclusions from the performance of any horse, including his own Tinka’s Serenade.

Andy Murray feels “great” following his recent elbow injury as he heads into this week’s Madrid Open looking to build on last month’s display in Monte Carlo.

World number one and six-time reigning champion Rafael Nadal made an effortless start to his defence of the Monte Carlo Rolex Masters.

There is no doubt who is Europe’s man of the moment going into The Open on Thursday – 24-year-old Martin Kaymer.

A lotto winner is revving up to make his dreams come true by competing against his heroes in the World Rally Championship, it emerged today.

SEBASTIEN LOEB sent out an ominous message on the first full day of the season-opening Monte Carlo Rally by establishing a 56-second lead over his nearest rival.

Sebastien Loeb sent out an ominous message on the first full day of the season-opening Monte Carlo Rally by establishing a 56-second lead over his nearest rival.

Ireland and the UK will drop off the world championship calendar in 2010 after the sport’s governing body confirmed a new rotation policy.

Denmark’s Soren Hansen today held a slender lead midway through the final round of the Mercedes-Benz Championship in Cologne.

World champion Sebastien Loeb’s bid for a fourth consecutive Monte Carlo Rally win was thrown off course by a heavy accident on stage six today.

Sebastien Loeb is dreaming of winning the world championship with victory on home soil in this weekend’s Tour de Corse.

JUST when Formula One needed a shake-up to mask the domination by Michael Schumacher and Ferrari, the Monaco Grand Prix worked its magic to throw up a race fit for the Hollywood blockbuster cast attracted to its glamorous harbourside setting.

Mitsubishi’s Alister McRae admits he is feeling “incredibly frustrated” over his enforced absence from the Network Q Rally of Great Britain.

Tim Henman continued his impressive clay court form by breezing into the third round of the Masters Series in Monte Carlo.

Colin McRae has threatened not to compete in next year's Monte Carlo Rally after expressing his dislike of the event.

Tommi Makinen roared to a hat-trick of victories after Colin McRae suffered more Monte Carlo Rally misfortune.