Randy de Puniet saw an impressive fifth on th♊e grid go to waste when he was taken out by Valentino Rossi on the opening lap of🐟 Saturday's Dutch TT.

As the rid𒐪ers filed into the slow left-haဣnd Horseshoe 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 beginning of this weekend my pace was consis✱tently fast and I could st🐭ay 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 gravel♕ 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 foug🔯ht for a good result here," added the LCR Honda rider, who has taken a bes🍌t finish of ninth so far this season.

Rossi, whose bike was damaged, recovered to eleventh🎉 place by the chequered flag and later apologised to both de P🥀uniet and his team.