Rally leader Bugalski hits trouble

Bugalski's problems stemmed from a leaking clutch master cylinder. The trouble started on the road section between the first two stages of the third and final leg. On today's (Sunday) second stage, Osor 1, Bugalski could only post the sixth fastest time.

"I lost time at the start because it was uphill," explained the Frenchman, "and then went too easily, because I was worried that it would not last at all."

He had to complete the third stage of the morning, Collsesplanes 1, too before service and that proved an even bigger problem. With another uphill start to contend with, Bugalski stopped between the start entry control and the startline.

When he did get going, he flew through the stage to set the fastest time.

"I was a bit more confident, so I attacked harder," reported Bugalski, but the delay cost him a two-minute penalty which dropped him to fourth place, one and a half minutes behind new leader Didier Auriol.

To add to his misery, Bugalski picked up another 10-second penalty when he left service in Manlleu a minute late.

With only three stages left to run, Bugalski's fate seems fixed. He is over 40 seconds behind third-placed Tommi Makinen and almost 30 seconds ahead of the other element of a Mitsubishi sandwich - Freddy Loix.