Rookie rocks the legends
September 16, 2006 12:00am
Article from: Herald-Sun
A NEW era dawned at Phillip Island yesterday when a 19- year-old rookie threw down the gauntlet to the fastest men on two wheels.
Randy De Puniet led the field in practice, leaving multiple champion Valentino Rossi fighting to reclaim his dominance on Australian soil.
The little-known Frenchman shocked the 20,474 fans -- the second biggest Friday attendance -- as he surged ahead of more fancied rivals.
The picturesque circuit was bathed in sunshine for most of the day, creating perfect conditions for De Puniet, who led the 19-man field with a top of 319km/h in the second MotoGP practice session.
De Puniet's green Kawasaki stopped the clock at 1:29:745 -- 0.565sec ahead of Italian Loris Capirossi.
Aussie hope Casey Stoner came in sixth fastest, while compatriot Chris Vermeulen was 14th.
Rossi is hoping to extend a five-year unbeaten run at the island and is chasing a sixth straight world championship.
But he could manage only the eighth fastest time yesterday, leaving fans to wonder if he can recapture the magic for tomorrow's race.
De Puniet ...rocks PI
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Smitty
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De Puniet ...rocks PI
GOTTA LUV the 12R!!
