"Everything was good these three days and in every test we've done since the end of last year, we've made a major improvement", he declared. "I did three long-runs on race tyres and their performance was excellent, while on my qualifying tyre I did the fastest lap I've ever done around here. Now I'm really looking forward to the race in two weeks time and feeling really confident about the season ahead".

During recent MotoGP testing at Valencia Garry McCoy had set a new fast mark at 1m34.070 onboard his YZR 500.  Interestingly Carlos Checa was the fastest of the new 4-stroke GP bikes during the MotoGP Valencia test with a 1m34.654, some 4-tenths slower than Bayliss punted his road bike based Ducati around the track today.  Click here to open the GP Valencia test in a new window.  Maybe Ducati should just enter Bayliss and his 998 Ducati in the MotoGP Championship......

Back to the SuperBike test......Ben Bostrom (L&M Ducati), riding on Dunlops as opposed to Bayliss' Michelins, was second quickest, with a personal best lap of 1:34.401 coming in the penultimate session.

"We got the bike dialed in really good during these three days, and although I did the fastest time around here on race tyres, 1'34.7, I know there's a lot more to come because I was held up on my really quick lap and lost a few tenths", declared Bostrom. "I'm really excited about the season ahead because I've been waiting for it to start since last May, when I injured my shoulder at Monza!".

Noriyuki Haga's Aprilia was quick enough for the Japanese rider to leave the track third quickest overall, while Ruben Xaus, Bayliss' Ducati Infostrada team-mate, was the last of the fast four inside the 1:34 bracket.

"We've made enormous progress since the first tests in Australia," added Noriyuki Haga. "It's been an intense three days and I've really been getting to grips with my RSV. It's like no other bike and it has unique qualities, so I'm adapting my style to suit it. We did lots of set-up and tyre tests. The World Championships are just about upon us and the next time I'll be in the saddle will be at the race weekend. With the team, we've found a good solution which doesn't put too much long-term stress on the tyres, while keep the lap times very high. Just a few adjustments here and there to the set-up and the bike will be even easier to handle. I'm all set for the green light."

"I'm pretty happy about the times I recorded around here, but we have to find out about why I'm falling because I don't really have any explanation for it", declared Xaus. "Maybe the track just doesn't suit my style of riding, because I wasn't pushing that hard and my times came easily or perhaps we'll just have to use a different tyre because I've got no real problems in the front. I was one of the fastest on race tyres today but really didn't have the chance to go for a quick qualifying time".

2000 season World Champion Colin Edwards (Castrol Honda) crashed trying to improve his best time in the final session, but was still fifth fastest.

"I had the qualifying tyre in the back of the machine and was going for the big lap," Edwards explained. "I came out of the left-hand third corner and before I'd changed direction for the right-hander I was down.

"I guess lap 241 was one too many. But we've had a very good test and got through a lot of work in readiness for next week's races here. We've also found a really good Michelin race tyre but I need to find a one-lap SuperPole tyre that suits me and the machine - that's what we've left Michelin working on before next week's first round."

Hitoyasu Izutsu proved the speed of man and Kawasaki Racing Team machine by moving up to sixth fastest overall, giving the four cylinder manufacturers a shot in the arm in the run up to the season proper.

Neil Hodgson took the top privateer slot despite feeling frustrated by his seventh fastest time.

Gregorio Lavilla, the local favourite, was faster than the man he replaced in the Alstare Suzuki camp, Pierfrancesco Chili.

Lucio Pedercini, the third private Ducati rider in the top ten, performed excellently over all three days, and just edged James Toseland out into 11th.

Steve Martin (DFX Pirelli Ducati) could not improve on his times from day two but he did finish inside the lap record with a 1:35.962.

Twenty-five riders took part in Superbike the tests, but despite improving his time in the final day, Peter Goddard was disappointed to finish only 21st fastest on the factory Benelli.

Frenchman Fabien Foret was in unstoppable World Supersport form at Valencia, performing a similar job to Bayliss in a different class of racing. The Ten Kate Honda rider waited right until the final session to set his magnificent 1:37.749 time, almost 1.3 seconds better than his previous pole position record of 1:39.061, obtained in 2001. It was also over two seconds faster than the previous fastest race lap, also set in 2001.

“This was the final official test and most of the teams were here,” said Foret, “so it was interesting to compare my performance with other riders. To be fastest rider here is also very good for my state of mind, I am very confident.” But Foret wasn’t letting the success go to his head, “I am happy with my performance but I know that it’s the first race that really matters, this is only a test and it will all be forgotten once the race starts. Now I want to relax, enjoy my racing and win.”

The first four riders were all running Pirelli tyres, with the European Champion Alessio Corradi finishing second quickest thanks to his 1:38.069. Behind him came Foret's team-mate, Pere Riba, only 0.037 seconds slower than Corradi.

“I’ve been doing well at this test, all except on the final day,” explained Riba. “I am going down with some throat infection and it has effected my performance today. With race tyres I was lapping consistently fast and looking forward to trying some qualifiers on the last day. Unfortunately I wasn’t able to make the best use of them, and then crashed in turn two on the final session after pushing the front a bit too hard. But I want to thank my team who have worked so hard all winter; the 2002 spec bike is really special. Pirelli have come up with some brilliant tyres and the guys at WP have done a great job again with the suspension. Now I am looking forward to the race!”

Yamaha rider Stefano Cruciani rounded out the Pirelli-supported top four, before Jörg Teuchert gave Dunlop and his Yamaha Motor Deutschland team fifth place on the time sheets, with James Whitham running in sixth in the dying seconds of the final session.