Portugal poses a new test for Loeb

"As for many drivers, it will basically be a step into unknown territory for me," the triple world champion said.

"I will approach the rally as I do every event, new or otherwise, and I will do my utmost to win it," added the Frenchman, who took part in practice for the 2001 event without competing.

Loeb, winner of the previous rally in Mexico, trails Ford's Marcus Gronholm by four points after four rounds of the championship.

Champions Ford are 15 points clear of Citroen in the manufacturers' standings.

Gronholm is one of the few who can recall competing in Portugal, but that will not help with the event moving from Porto in the north to a new base near Faro in the Algarve on the southern coast.

"The last time Portugal appeared in the championship was in 2001 when the weather was incredible," said the Finn, who finished second in Portugal in 2000 and third in 2001.

"The rain was torrential and the stages were muddy and foggy. It was horrible. But my memories of the rally were always good."

The old Portuguese rally had a reputation for huge and often undisciplined crowds, with safety a constant preoccupation for organisers.

One of the reasons it was taken off the 2002 calendar was driver concern, with thousands of spectators lining the roads and often standing in dangerous positions.

"It had a great atmosphere because the crowds were huge and so enthusiastic," said Gronholm. "This year's rally will, of course, be very different."

The compact, new version uses Faro's Algarve soccer stadium as a headquarters and venue for a super-special stage. The event is otherwise mostly hard gravel in the mountainous Serra do Caldeirao.

Each leg is made up of two identical loops of stages, divided by a service break. The rally ends in Faro stadium on Sunday afternoon.