MotoGP: Biaggi - This hurts so much.

[R1 Biker]

Max Biaggi's record 200th consecutive grand prix started turned into yet another painful instalment of the Roman's unpredictable 2005 rollercoaster, the Repsol Honda rider never getting anywhere the right set-up for his factory RCV at the new Istanbul circuir and he would eventually finish, where he qualified, in 12th place.

The experienced 34-year-old's problems were compounded by a bad start, which left him just 15th at the end of lap one.

Biaggi pushed to make up the positions - and would pass Ducati's Shinichi Itoh, Suzuki's John Hopkins and Kawasaki's Olivier Jacque - but his fastest race lap was a shocking 2.2secs slower than race winner Marco Melandri.

"I never felt comfortable on the bike around here at any point of the weekend," declared Max. "My team tried so many things but nothing seemed to work. I rode as hard as I could on the package we had today and in the end it was only good enough for 12th place.

"To be in this position hurts me so much. My spirit is gone here and I can only hope we have some small piece of sunlight in Valencia to end this season that I want to remember on some sort of a reasonable note," added Biaggi, who finished behind even Honda mounted MotoGP rookie Chris Vermeulen.

"Max didn't find a good set-up and in a race where there was a big difference between the riders who had a fast pace and those that didn't, he never had a chance," admitted team manager Makoto Tanaka.