Italy's Marco Cavigioli reclaimed the lead of the IRC 2WD Cup after the Madeira Rally, which has proved to be fiercely contested since the series was inaugurated at the start of this year.

Having won the opening round in Turkey, Cavigioli faced the heartbreak of a final-stage retirement in Ypres two months ago, and was also forced to miss Rally Russia in July due to parts supply problems for his Fiat Punto Diesel.

A fourth place in Madeira though, after a flawless run, put him back at the top of the IRC 2WD Cup with a lead of five points over his closest pursuers.

"To get this result in Madeira was a big relief for me, and it is a pleasure to be leading the points table again," Cavigioli declared.

"The Punto diesel is a good car, although it requires a very different driving technique to the rally cars I have used in the past," he shared. "The power band is quite narrow so it's important to work the car quite hard in order to exploit the torque."

"We look forward to continuing this run of success now, and I hope we can challenge for the IRC 2WD Cup at the end of the year," Cavigioli said.