Antoine L'Estage expects better conditions at this weekend's Rallye Perce-Neige than were seen on the Sno*Drift Rally's treacherously icy roads.

Coming off a second place finish in Michigan last weekend, L'Estage and co-driver Nathalie Richard begin defense of their championship titles at the Canadian Series opener in Maniwaki, Québec.

"We’re looking forward to a nice winter rally, with nice winter conditions!" exclaimed L'Estage. "The roads in and around Maniwaki are hopefully covered in snow and the route that we follow for the Rallye Perce-Neige is fantastic."

Tire strategy will play a crucial role in determining the outcome of the rally. L'Estage, a four-time winner of this event, will be using Yokohama's A034s for the snow and IG20s for icy conditions as he attempts to bump his record up to five victories.

Rallye Perce-Neige is a one-day event scheduled to start at 9am this Saturday February 4th.