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Michèle Mouton the girl from Grasse in France took the all male world of rallying by storm in 1981.

She did what no woman has done before - or since. She won a world championship event, the San Remo rally.

Driving for the factory Audi team in 1982 she shattered the egos of the male stars by winning three more world championship events - the Acropolis, the Rally of Brazil and the Rally of Portugal.

She won more events that year that anyone else and finished a tight second to Walter Röhrl in the world championship.

Now she comes out of retirement to run in this years London-Sydney Marathon. She will drive a Porsche 911 with Francis Tuthill, the winner of the 1993 event, as her co-driver.

The London-Sydney Marathon starts in London on June 3rd, covers 16,800 kms through 14 countries and finishes on the steps of the world's most famous Opera House on July 4th.

Another noteworthy Michèle achievement; the Americans dubbed her the Fastest Woman in the World in 1983 when she finished second overall in the famous 20-mile Pikes Peak race uphill on gravel.

In 1982 Michèle's team mates at Audi were world champions Hannu Mikkola and Stig Blomqvist - they were known as the "gang of three". Now they're back again to battle with each other.

Blomqvist drives a potent V8 engined Ford Capri Perana and Mikkola is in a Ford Escort BDA similar to the one in which he twice won the London Mexico rally.

Event Director Nick Brittan said , " Two world champions and the world's fastest lady - that's raised the bar a bit for the chargers at the front of the field hasn't it ."