Stiff neck stops Barros, Bayliss 'finally happy'.

The final day of testing at Sepang saw Camel Honda rider Alex Barros ruled out after just ten laps with a bizarre neck problem, while team-mate Troy Bayliss was more fortunate and believes he's back on the right track after two days of frustration.

Barros had run just two sets of five laps today - the first of which had seen him set an excellent time of 2mins 1.95secs - when he pulled into the pits and, whilst talking with chief technician Ramon Forcada, got caught by a cold blast of air, which instantly caused his neck to stiffened up. Despite an instant massage and painkiller, the Brazilian was forced to withdraw from the test.

"Today started off really well, I was riding quick straight away but then I got a stiff neck from the air," Alex confirmed. "They gave me a massage but even after the painkillers it was useless. It's a shame but that's the way things go. We'll make up for it at the next test."

"Over the first two days we followed the testing programme perfectly but today a completely banal incident has prevented us from finishing it," added Forcada. "Here it's over 30?C in the shade and when the riders come back they are hot and sweaty and try to cool down. Alex unzipped his leathers in front of the fan and the cold air stiffened him up.

"It's something which will clear up in a few days but it meant that he couldn't finish the job today: a few other new rear tyres and some more set-up work. Looking at the time Alex did on his second lap today, and that of his team-mate, it's clear they're in the right shape to do well," he added. "We'll just have to be patient; we've got some top results here and gathered some good information to give to HRC. We're very satisfied."

Meanwhile, Bayliss was able to finally find a comfortable set-up and understanding of his RCV at the Sepang circuit - and the result was a substantial reduction in lap time and a much more cheerful Australian.

"Today I can finally say that I'm happy, I've taken 1.3 seconds off my time from yesterday. Everything went better and we're back on the right path, so much so that I've gone quicker now than in testing and the race here last year," said Troy, who set a best time of 2min 2.691secs.

"I did two mini simulations of ten laps each at a really good pace. I'm sure that when we return here in a little over two weeks' time we'll be able to pick up where we've left off.

"The whole team reacted quickly to a difficult start," he added. "This morning I was able to follow Alex for a few laps just to be on the safe side and things got better and better from there. I'm disappointed for him that he had his setback but I'm sure he'll be better soon."

"Today was a completely different story," confirmed Bayliss's chief technician Santiago Mulero. "We analysed all the data we had, came up with a few solutions and they were proved right on the track.

"Troy feels much more comfortable now and at the next test we'll be able to take another step forward, because we'll be able to set it up perfectly for him. We're happy to have put Troy in the right shape to look forward to the next test with a lot of faith."

The next test for the Camel Honda team will again be at Sepang, from February 11-13.

Sepang test times - Tuesday:

1. Loris Capirossi ITA Ducati Marlboro 2min 0.54secs
2. Sete Gibernau SPA Telefonica Movistar Honda 2min 1.21secs
3. Valentino Rossi ITA Yamaha Gauloises 2min 1.36secs
4. Nicky Hayden USA Repsol Honda 2min 1.68secs
5. Max Biaggi ITA Repsol Honda 2min 1.91secs
6. Colin Edwards USA Yamaha Gauloises 2min 1.93secs
7. Alex Barros BRA Camel Honda 2min 1.95secs
8. Marco Melandri SPA Telefonica Movistar Honda 2min 2.10secs
9. Troy Bayliss AUS Camel Honda 2min 2.691secs
10. Shinya Nakano JPN Fuchs Kawasaki 2min 2.70secs
11. Makoto Tamada JPN Konica Minolta Honda 2min 2.80secs
12. Toni Elias SPA Fortuna Yamaha Tech 3 2min 2.80secs
13. Alex Hofmann GER Fuchs Kawasaki 2min 3.70secs
14. Ruben Xaus SPA Fortuna Yamaha Tech 3 2min 4.00secs

Comparative lap times:
Malaysian Grand Prix - 10/10/2004:

Pole position: Valentino Rossi ITA Gauloises Fortuna Yamaha 2min 1.833secs

Fastest laps: Yamaha: Valentino Rossi ITA Gauloises Fortuna Yamaha 2min 3.253secs Honda: Max Biaggi ITA Camel Honda 2min 3.281secsDucati: Loris Capirossi ITA Ducati Marlboro 2min 4.048secsKawasaki: Shinya Nakano JPN Fuchs Kawasaki 2mins 4.264secsSuzuki: John Hopkins USA Team Suzuki 2min 4.879secs