That is an aggressive position for the brake/shifter hoods. That's very 1980s, mostly for time trials (pre-aero bars) and only a few grand tour riders rode such an aggressive position -- Marco Pantani, for one. If you check the position for some riders, including those from the 1950s on, many preferred the bar tipped up a bit with the hoods mounted higher. Some riders even had their brake levers visibly flared upward for comfort, which would offend the aesthetics of some purists.
And I found it difficult to get a good riding position on that type of drop bar, with multi-angled drops rather than a smooth rounded curve. I tried 'em for awhile -- they're in the back of the closet now.
Regarding the neck thing, yeah, that's way too familiar. An old neck injury still gives me trouble, especially after a car hit me two years ago and aggravated the old injury. Broke my C1-C2 with permanent degenerative injuries. But I can still ride a drop bar road bike about 400-500 miles a month, usually 20-50 miles per ride. Neck pain usually determines how far/long I'll ride.
Some bike fit tweaks here and there help a bit but the only thing that really made a difference was getting serious about physical therapy. I visited a PT clinic three times a week this time last year, for two or three months. Learned a lot, and I continue it on my own at home. And I check a few reputable YouTube channels for tips (there are some atrociously bad PT tips online too, especially for using kettlebells with horrible advice that will eventually result in crippling injuries).
Massage helps too. With the pandemic I've had to discontinue most non-essential outpatient stuff, so no in-person visits to PT, massage therapy, etc. I got a long handled percussion massager, one of those doodads with two heads the size of golf balls to straddle the spine along the neck and back. Really helps. I've nearly worn out my first massager. It cost only $30 but worked well for awhile -- eventually it became just an ordinary vibrating massager without noticeable percussion effect. I'll get a better one next time.