Kronos secures Gauloises backing.

The Kronos Total Citroen World Rally team have been given a boost ahead of the Rallye Monte Carlo, following confirmation that the team will be sponsored by Altadis group tobacco brand Gauloises.

Gauloises branding had appeared on the Yamaha bikes of Valentino Rossi and Colin Edwards in 2005, however following the Yamaha/Gauloises split, the French brand has now switched to the WRC and Gauloises branding will therefore appear on the Xsara WRC's of Sebastien Loeb and Xavier Pons.

The full statement from Gauloises read:

"After two seasons crowned by two world championship titles in MotoGP, Gauloises will participate in the FIA 2006 World Rally Championship besides the Kronos team and his two drivers, Sebastien Loeb, the reigning world champion, and his team-mate Xavi Pons.

"Delighted to be able to take up this new challenge for the conquest of a new world title, the French brand of the Altadis group will be present on the two Citroen Xsara of the Kronos team from the Rallye Monte Carlo, first round of the FIA 2006 WRC championship, which will be held from January 20-22."

Altadis meanwhile has started arbitration proceedings against the factory Yamaha MotoGP team, which has just announced a deal with rival tobacco brand, Camel, following what it considers to be "a material breach by Yamaha of the two companies' two-year sponsorship agreement".