With a little more than three months remaining until the inaugural Love Cyprus Golden Stage Rally, more details of the event, which takes place in Cyprus on 7 November, and carries a prize fund of 150,000 Euros, have been released.

Although Giandomenico Basso’s bid for a fourth Rali Vinho Madeira victory has been scuppered after he was forced to withdraw his entry due to a funding shortage, the Abarth marque will still be represented on the Atlantic island by Luca Rossetti.

Škoda Motorsport’s factory drivers Juho Hänninen and Jan Kopecký might head the title race but they will both be anxious to make up for recent disappointments when they contest Rali Vinho Madeira or the first time.

With six winners from the opening seven rounds, the 2010 Intercontinental Rally Challenge season is already proving to be an epic. Less than a month after a thrilling climax to Sata Rallye Açores, when the lead changed hands three times on the final two stages, the IRC continues with Rali Vinho Madeira next week (5-7 August).

Škoda has vowed to make up for the disappointment of losing out on victory on Sata Rallye Açores earlier this month when it makes its debut on Rali Vinho Madeira from 5-7 August.

Forty-six crews will contest Rali Vinho Madeira, round eight of the Intercontinental Rally Challenge, next week (August 5-7).

Tom Cave used the break in his Intercontinental Rally Challenge schedule to win the Coracle Stages, a national rally in mid-Wales, last weekend (25 July).

Jim McRae has praised Bruno Magalhães after the Portuguese driver won the first Colin McRae IRC Flat Out Trophy on Sata Rallye Açores earlier this month.

Giandomencio Basso is determined to contest at least two rounds of this year’s Intercontinental Rally Challenge after he was forced to withdraw from next month’s Rali Vinho Madeira.