Leg 1: Great opening day for Martin

However, while he will face rockier conditions further down the order tomorrow, he may also find the roads swept clear of the power-sapping dust that has blighted the progress of other drivers. World Champion Richard Burns complained: "The surface is very slippery and too smooth for those at the front. Running further back is a definite advantage."

Crews have had to contend with temperatures climbing above 30 degrees Celsius at times while the roads have destroyed wheels and tyres.

As Martin drove unhindered at the front of the field, his Scottish team-mate Colin McRae has been climbing the leaderboard and tonight lies third.

"I gambled with my tyre choice for the second group of stages and it wasn't ideal," said the Scot. "I also spun and stalled on one stage so I haven't really had a clear run all day but I'm happy with my overall position."

McRae is seeking his third successive Acropolis Rally victory and a fifth career win on this event to further extend his record-breaking run on the Greek classic.

The cleaning roads left Hyundai's Freddy Loix splitting the Fords and he could maintain that progress tomorrow for Hyundai's best performance since entering the WRC. Loix and, for a while, Armin Schwarz were holding two of the podium places, but the German slipped back after work in service cost him road penalties.

The previously all-conquering Peugeots have struggled today, Burns unhappy with his road position and championship leader Marcus Gronholm slipping off the road and losing his place in the points. For a while Burns and McRae were locked in battle for fifth place but the Scot raced ahead over the final two stages once he had reverted to a more widely approved tyre choice.

The only major retirement of the day came on the final stage when Tommi Makinen's run of ill fortune continued, the Subaru first losing power steering on SS5 and then, virtually undriveable, it smashed a wheel off on the final stage and the Finn had no choice but to retire. Makinen has now finished only two of this season's seven events.

Tomorrow sees a further six stages, including the longest of the event. Martin will find out soon enough if his overnight advantage is to be enough and whether his rivals will close the gap or he can maintain, or even extend, that lead before Sunday's final leg. Martin first discovered the fun of leading a WRC event in Cyprus but that was for just one stage. Now he's held on for an entire leg and there is little to suggest he can't go all the way to his first big win. However, the Acropolis Rally can destroy hopes and dreams in an instant so there will be no rest until the final whistle on Sunday.