Panizzi accused in cheat row.

San Remo leader Gilles Panizzi has been cited for illegally practising the rally route - although it is unlikely that he will be punished.

Several drivers, including British championship challenger Richard Burns and Spanish rival Carlos Sainz, have said that they know that Panizzi, winner of the Tour de Corse two weeks ago, has been driving the roads used for the Italian event but, without photographic evidence, also know that they cannot hope to bring a case against the Frenchman.

The sport's governing body, the FIA, expressly forbids any prior knowledge of the route, or conditions, being acquired by competitors before the official event recce begins, but Peugeot has counter-claimed that it is being unfairly accused because of its drivers' prowess on the tarmac stages used in Corsica and San Remo.

Sainz claims that, not only will Panizzi know the roads better than the rest of the field, but will also have an advantage in knowing where to push and where not, while others tread warily, knowing the fate that befell Colin McRae and both Mitsubishis in Corsica.

The row is likely to rumble on throughout the event, with a sense of injustice prevailing at the end should Panizzi win, but little action is expected to be forthcoming from officials.