Randy de Puniet saw an impressive fifth🍒 on the grid go to waste wh🌄en he was taken out by Valentino Rossi on the opening lap of Saturday's Dutch TT.

As the riders filed into the slow left-hand Hors𓆉eshoe turn for the first🌠 time Rossi, eager to regain ground after a slow start, lost control of his Yamaha and collected de Puniet.

The Italian was able 🐻to restart, but de Puniet was left to hobble away with a sore leg.

"We deserve a lot better than this," sighed the Frenchman. "Since the beginni♈ng of this w𝓡eekend my pace was consistently fast and I could stay with the top five riders today.

"I made a very good start and was in the fifth position when Rossi crashed and I was 'in the wrong place at the wrong time'. We both went in the gr🐭avel but he rejoined the race. Probably he arrived too fast and lost the rear hitting my bike.

"I'm very disappointed because we could have fought for a good resꦅult here," added the LCR Honda rider, who has taken a best finish ofඣ ninth so far this season.

Rossi, whose bike was damaged, recovered to eleventh place by the cꦕhequered flag and later apologised to both de Puniet and🎃 his team.