'Young M𓄧otoGP riders are pussies' - that was the controversial claim made💯 recently by seven time champion Valentino Rossi.

Rossi made the comment in response to criticism by the likes of Casey Stoner and Jorge Lorenzo about the on-track co𝓡nduct of Rossi and hard-riding fellow Italian Marco Simoncell♏i, respectively.

Unsurprisingly♈, the comment arouse during the pre-event press conference at Le Mans on Thursday, beginning with class-veteran Colin Edwards being asked if the claim was true:

"[Yes] they are just a bunch꧑ of pussies!" replied Edwards. "No, I retract that statement...

"There's obviously been some statements in the press about this and that, b🏅ut I'm still working on my pace to be up there with those guys to talk sh*t about them!"

24-year-old reigning world champion and 2011 points leader Lorenzo, one of the main targets of Rossi's words, was later asked for his respon🤪se.

After 🏅being told that the phrase, in polite terms, meant some young MotoGP riders were behaving like 'kids', Lorenzo - in a presumed dig at Rossi - replied:

"I don't know. I guess it must be a little 🐼shame to be beaten by 'kids'.ꦓ Every race..."

At that point 37-year-old Edwards couldn't resist jumping in: "Yes, it's a shaಌme! And I didn't even call them pussies!"

Meanwhile, Rossi brushed off his latest c🧜lash with Stoner, who𒈔 is said to have obstructed the Ducati rider during the post-race Estoril test:

"In reality it was nothing💫 special... nothing happened... No problem," said the 32-year-old, whose feud with Stoner was reignited when he brought the Australian down in a race-accident during round two at Jerez.