PARIS - WORLD champion Valentino Rossi signed off testing duties with Yamaha for 2008 on Thursday by clocking the fastest time of the session at Jerez.

Rossi set his best time of the day on his 52nd of 54 laps, dipping nearly seven tenths of a second under the lap record with a time of 1min 39.429sec.

'The track was a bit drier today and so we were able to improve even more and do a great job,' said Rossi who will spend the first part of his winter break in Wales next weekend watching the season-ending Rally of Great Britain.

'Now I am looking forward to some holidays and next week I will go to Wales for the rally, which I hope will be a lot of fun.

'It's been a fantastic year and I am really happy I have finished at the top today.' -- AFP