Bayliss injured, replaced by Ukawa.

After fracturing his wrist whilst training on a motocross bike in his native Australia, Camel Honda rider Troy Bayliss will not take part in this weekend's Japanese Grand Prix at Motegi.

"There is not much I can say other than that I am very, very disappointed to be forced out of this race," sighed Troy. "I was really looking forward to racing at Motegi after the tests we completed at Brno and I was training on my own to try and be as best prepared as I could. Now we will have to find out what treatment I need but my objective is to get fit as soon as possible."

However, Sito Pons' team will still be running two RCVs in Honda's home race after drafting in former rider Tohru Ukawa to race alongside Alex Barros at the event.

Ukawa, now a HRC test rider, raced for the Pons team during the 2003 season (lower pic), when the former one-time MotoGP winner rode alongside Max Biaggi.

There are no plans as yet for Ukawa to compete in further events, but Troy's wrist injury couldn't come at a worse time - with the Malaysian GP just one week after Motegi and Qatar in turn just one week after Sepang.

Depending on the extent of the injury, for which 'only a series of closer examinations will confirm the length of recovery time', Bayliss could perhaps make his comeback at his home Australian Grand Prix on October 16.

The former World Superbike champion's best results during a difficult 2005 season have been two sixth places, putting him 11th in the current world championship standings.

"I am very sorry that Troy is being forced to miss a race where, as far as I am concerned, he could have had a very satisfactory weekend," said team principal Pons. "Motegi is the track that our team has always known how to make the most of, and where we have more wins than anywhere else. We have won every year for the last three, with three different riders, which shows how the team's work has proved crucial.

"The first win came with Alex, in 2002, the first time he rode the RC211V. Now he returns to the track with our team once again, and we will give everything, as ever, because he could repeat the victory and continue the winning sequence, whilst we hope that Troy can recover and return to the track as soon as possible," Pons concluded.