Triple world champion Sebastien Ogier survived two scares to open a 26.9-sec gap after the first day of the Rally of Sweden on Friday as rivals struggled in the snow and mud. French driver Ogier, who won the season opener in Monte Carlo last month, mastered the tricky conditions as New Zealand's Hayden Paddon, in a Hyundai i20, finished the day in second spot with Norway's Ford Focus driver Mads Ostberg 33.7sec off the pace in third. The classic winter rally, traditionally fought out over kilometres of deep-lying snow banks, has endured a troubled build-up. Lack of snow and rising temperatures turned parts of the course into muddy quagmnires with eight of the 21 planned stages cut from...
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