Gronholm had an easy ride once Loeb was delayed

The Finn, who moved from Peugeot after they left the world championship last year, cruised to victory after champion Sebastien Loeb crashed on day one.

Citroen driver Loeb dropped to eighth, but fought back to finish second with a series of fastest stage times.

Loeb passed the privateer Peugeot of Toni Gardemeister on the final stage.

Day two report Day one report

Manfred Stohl, driving another privately-run Citroen, was fourth.

Loeb backed up his pre-event confidence that he can win a third consecutive title despite driving for a private team following Citroen's official pull-out.

The Frenchman led early on day one before a crash put him out of contention for victory, when he was penalised five minutes for failing to complete the final stage of the day.

When Loeb went off I just controlled my pace, but with him in contention it would have been very difficult Marcus Gronholm

But he was fastest on eight of the remaining 11 stages during a stirring fightback.

In all, Loeb, who had been hoping for a record fourth consecutive win on the Monte, was fastest on 10 of the 18 stages, including the prestigious Col du Turini on Sunday morning.

But he was never a threat to Gronholm, who comfortably sealed his 19th world championship win a minute ahead of the man with whom he is expected to dispute the 2006 title.

"I was not pushing at all. We had a big vibration and there was smoke in the car. We were really afraid and took the boost off.

"When Loeb went off I just controlled my pace, but with him in contention it would have been very difficult."

Loeb was in a class of his own in the mountains

Norwegian Petter Solberg, the other man expected to be a championship contender, retired on the first day with an oil leak in his Subaru.

Solberg's team-mate Stephane Sarrazin was fifth, ahead of team-mate Chris Atkinson.