THE Repsol-Honda team repeated just what they did in the first MotoGP pre-season testing session at Sepang two weeks ago on the opening day of the second test yesterday when 2007 world champion Casey Stoner and Spanish teammate Dani Pedrosa swept the top two positions, amid question marks over the success of nine-time world champion Valentino Rossi's debut season with Ducati.

Stoner, 25, Rossi's predecessor at Ducati sounded yet another warning with the fastest lap of two minutes 0.987 seconds around the 5.543-km circuit, as Honda continued building positively with the aim of ending their four-year title drought in the MotoGP class.

Their last title, ironically, came from Rossi's current teammate at Ducati, Nicky Hayden in 2006.

Rossi, 32, is still the centre of attention in MotoGP and his ninth fastest time yesterday, a clear one second adrift of Stoner's, must have had his legions of fans worried as the Italian continues to struggle with a shoulder injury that ruined his title challenge against now bitter rival Jorge Lorenzo, his former teammate and reigning world champion at Yamaha.

Spaniard Lorenzo wasn't too far behind as Yamaha continued to prepare for the defence of their title, coming just a tenth of a second off Pedrosa's Honda.

Rossi remained optimistic at best about his pre-season woes, admitting that he still has some work to gain full fitness before being in a position to bring Ducati the title they had hoped for.

"I am with a new team and we had a lot of work to do from the start. Compared to Valencia, where I first tested the bike at the end of last season, we have improved a lot. But I have some work to do on my fitness," said Rossi, who is still hampered by injuries sustained in the high-speed crash at Mugello in June last year.

Two more days of the Sepang session remain for Rossi to make up ground on the Hondas, who are already showing that they will be the ones to beat come the opening round in Qatar on March 18-20.

Yesterday's times: 1 Casey Stoner (Aus) Repsol Honda 2:00.987s, 2 Dani Pedrosa (Spa) Repsol Honda 2:01.360s, 3 Jorge Lorenzo (Spa) Yamaha Factory Racing 2:01.468s, 4 Colin Edwards (US) Monster Yamaha Tech 3 2:01.654s, 5 Andrea Dovizioso (Ita) Repsol Honda 2:01.747s, 6 Ben Spies (US) Yamaha Factory Racing 2:01.808s, 7 Hiroshi Aoyama (Jpn) San Carlo Honda Gresini 2:01.909s, 8 Marco Simoncelli (Ita) San Carlo Honda Gresini 2:01.996s, 9 Valentino Rossi (Ita) Ducati 2:01.999s, 10 Alvaro Bautista (Spa) Rizla Suzuki 2:02.224s, 11 Hector Barbera (Spa) Aspar-Ducati 2:02.645s, 12 Nicky Hayden (US) Ducati 2:02.680s, 13 Toni Elias (Spa) LCR Honda 2:02.779s, 14 Randy De Puniet (Fra) Pramac Racing-Ducati 2:02.920s, 15 Cal Crutchlow (Bri) Monster Yamaha Tech3 2:02.936s, 16 Loris Capirossi (Ita) Pramac Racing-Ducati 2:03.082s, 17 Karel Abraham (Cze) Cardion AB-Ducati 2:03.167s, 18 Nobuatsu Aoki (Spa) Rizla Suzuki 2:04.639s.

GIANFRANCO Zola is adamant he has not retired following his sacking as West Ham manager last season and that he will soon return to coaching.

The former Italy and Chelsea star yesterday attended the UEFA Champions League Trophy Tour launch in Kuala Lumpur during which he spoke about his current status.

"After my last appointment, I decided I would contribute to football in a different way. I wanted a one year break. I will return but don't know when yet. However, I believe it will happen next year," said Zola at a leading hotel in Kuala Lumpur.

On being the ambassador of the tour, Zola expressed his excitement over his role.

"I am here as the ambassador of the tour, and to be honest, I have never come so close to the trophy until today (yesterday), though, I featured twice in it (Champions League), once each for Napoli and Chelsea as a player.

"The Champions League is such an unbelievable event as the atmosphere is different. I experienced goose-bumps when I played in it. Unfortunately, I never won the title as a player," said Zola, who was capped 35 times for Italy from 1991 to 1997.

Zola picked Barcelona as the favourites of this year's Champions League despite the Primera Liga side's 2-1 defeat to Arsenal in last week's first leg at the Emirates.

"Barcelona stand out above the rest right now. But it will not be easy as they need to come back from their defeat to the Gunners. But I strongly think Barcelona will win it because their players play with such confidence.

"The English teams are also dangerous but for the moment I pick Barcelona. But please don't take my word for it as I have never predicted accurately whenever I am asked this question," said Zola, regarded as Chelsea's greatest ever player.

The 45-year-old, however, hopes Chelsea will return to their best for the Champions League.

"It's difficult to comment on Chelsea's season in the Premier League. They started in a big way and nobody then expected them to suffer a breakdown late last year. The Champions League has been Chelsea's objective for the past few years and I believe they can end their season in a good way."

The Champions League is the only trophy the Blues can realistically win this season following their FA Cup exit and slide to fifth in the Premier League.

"Obviously (Carlo) Ancelotti and the team have issues to solve but I am confident he will find a solution. I think Chelsea will do well as they have less matches now to concentrate on this season. (Frank) Lampard is also returning to form and if he can produce his best, Chelsea will finish strongly," added Zola, who played alongside Diego Maradona and Careca during his tenure with Napoli between 1989-1993.

Zola also hopes that Italian clubs - Inter Milan, AC Milan and Roma - will make an impact on the Champions League.

"Italian clubs are not the favourites this season but you can never write them off. They are well respected in Europe as they have produced great results and good players consistently over the years. The best moments of Italian football were in the 1990s but the current clubs are also capable of winning the title."

Zola, who signed his first professional contract with Sardinian team, Nuorese, in 1984, went on to play for several notable clubs including Chelsea, before retiring with Cagliari in 2005.

The Italian's best achievement in the club scene was for Chelsea in the 1997-98 season where he helped the club win three trophies -- the League Cup, the Cup Winners Cup and the Super Cup.

Upon retirement, Zola started his coaching career as Italy's Under-21 assistant coach before taking up an offer to manage West Ham. But the club terminated his contract two days before the end of the 2009/10 season despite saving them from relegation.