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The 2010 Intercontinental Rally Challenge will feature debut visits to Argentina and Cyprus, as Eurosport make the Monte Carlo leg the most televised event in rally history.

The two new destinations will switch from WRC along with Sardinia, while the Safari Rally and Rally Russia have been dropped.

The 2009 IRC featured 11 races in total, after the event in Japan was cancelled, and the Asian country no longer appears on the calendar.

Six rallies are to be run on asphalt, four are gravel-based, and two are expected to feature mixed-surface itineraries.

Some destinations are awaiting confirmation due to ongoing talks.

The 2010 IRC will begin with Rally Monte Carlo on January 20, and end with Rally Cyprus on November 6.

IRC promoter Eurosport Events revealed a ground-breaking broadcast plan for the 2010 Rallye Monte-Carlo from January 20-23. Eurosport will bring 14 hours of live coverage from the stages.

The Rallye Monte-Carlo, founded in 1911, takes competitors through the Alpes Maritimes before finishing on the streets of Monaco. The live action from the stages, including the epic Col du Turini stages run at night, will be a mixture of aerial shots, on-board footage and land-based cameras.

Geraldine Filiol, managing director of Eurosport Events, said: "This is a world premiere in rallying, a tremendous bonus for the millions of fans around the world.

"We are naturally proud to open the IRC season in 2010 again with the Monte Carlo Rally and I am sure that our ambitious plans are worthy of a mythical motorsport event like this. Viewers can look forward to witnessing the Monte Carlo Rally unfold, live, over the three days of the event.

"This pioneering development is set to bring the sport to new standards of TV coverage."

Provisional 2010 IRC calendar:

January 20-23: Monte Carlo (asphalt)

March 4-6: Curitiba - Brazil (gravel)

March 19-21: Argentina (gravel)

June 4-6: Sardinia (gravel)

June 24-26: Belgium (asphalt)

July 15-17: Azores - Portugal (asphalt)

August 5-7: Madeira - Portugal (asphalt)

August 27-29: Zlin - Czech Republic (asphalt)

September 9-11: Principe de Asturias - Spain (asphalt)

September 23-25: Sanremo - Italy (asphalt/gravel)

October 14-16: Scotland (gravel)

November 4-6: Cyprus (asphalt/gravel)

Eurosport