Double DNF disappointment for Pramac Ducati

Randy de Puniet completes just one lap of his home grand prix before crashing, while Loris Capirossi gets caught out in his battle with Bautista.
De Puniet, French MotoGP Race 2011
De Puniet, French MotoGP Race 2011
© Gold and Goose

Pramac Racing's difficult start to the 2011 MotoGP World Championship continued at Le Mans as after both Randy de Puniet and Loris Capirossi crashed into retirement.

A second double DNF of the season for the team, de Puniet crashed by himself on the second lap, while Capirossi was circulating in the pack when he misjudged Alvaro Bautista's braking point and crashed attempting to avoid him.

A bitterly disappointing result for de Puniet on home soil, he has now failed to finish three of the opening four races, a fact he is struggling to ignore.

"I do not know what to say, I do not understand how I managed to fall like this," he said. "It's been very strange, the front has suddenly lost the grip and I slipped. I'm disappointed, I am angry: I wanted to do well in this race. [Tomorrow] I'll only have in mind the next GP in Barcelona, but now I cannot forget what happened today

Capirossi, who is yet to break into the top ten this season, was also frustrated with the unsatisfying climax to the race.

"So much, so much bad luck today. I was waiting for the end of the race to attack the group, I had the chance to recover some positions. Then Bautista has slowed suddenly as he was fighting as well with another rider and I couldn't avoid to touch him and this made me fall.

"There is always something wrong, unfortunately. Now there is little to say, this race has to be soon forgot. Next round at Barcelona, hoping that luck will assist us."

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