McRae set for tough going

Former World Rally Champion Colin McRae acquitted himself well on his first taste of the Dakar Rally – but he expects matters to get much harder when the event hits Africa.

The Scotsman was 28th on yesterday’s first stage – which did not count towards the overall times – as he got his 6,800-mile trek from France to Senegal off to a commendable start on the 1.5-kilometre special near Clermont-Ferrand.