WRC: Craig Breen third in Monte Carlo rally after Elfyn Evans crash

Ireland's Craig Breen finished third at the Monte Carlo rally on his Ford debut as Sebastien Loeb took a dramatic win.

Breen's English team-mate Gus Greensmith was fifth, as Wales' Elfyn Evans came home 19th after crashing his Toyota on Saturday.

Toyota's eight-time champion Sebastien Ogier was set to win before a puncture on the penultimate stage let in nine-time champion Loeb on his Ford debut.

The legendary French pair are only competing in selected rallies in 2022.

In an eventful season-opener to the World Rally Championship (WRC), both Ogier and Loeb demonstrated a gulf in class compared to the rest of the field — including British hopes Evans and Greensmith and Ireland's Breen, all of whom have a chance of winning the title in the WRC's 50th year.

Ogier, 38, led most of the event, with around 20 seconds between him and Loeb, 47. But on stage 16 Ogier lost more than 30 seconds with a puncture, Loeb eventually triumphing by 10.5 seconds.

Breen was one minute, 40 seconds behind second placed Ogier.

Last season's runner-up Evans was keeping pace with Loeb and Ogier early in the rally around the steep climbs near Monaco, briefly leading on Friday.

But Saturday's crash, in which he slid down a steep bank on a tight right-hand bend, lost him several minutes when spectators could not haul the car back on to the road.

Evans, 33, continued, but was way down the overall order.

In his first full WRC campaign, Breen, 31, was third in the striking M-Sport Puma, which has shown real pace alongside Toyota and the other works rival team Hyundai, who suffered mechanical problems for their drivers Thierry Neuville of Belgium, Sweden's Oliver Solberg and 2019 champion Ott Tanak from Estonia.

Breen's consistent driving ensured he finished more