NZ Herald
  • Home
  • Latest news
  • Herald NOW
  • Video
  • New Zealand
  • Sport
  • World
  • Business
  • Entertainment
  • Podcasts
  • Quizzes
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Travel
  • Viva
  • Weather

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • New Zealand
    • All New Zealand
    • Crime
    • Politics
    • Education
    • Open Justice
    • Scam Update
  • Herald NOW
  • On The Up
  • World
    • All World
    • Australia
    • Asia
    • UK
    • United States
    • Middle East
    • Europe
    • Pacific
  • Business
    • All Business
    • MarketsSharesCurrencyCommoditiesStock TakesCrypto
    • Markets with Madison
    • Media Insider
    • Business analysis
    • Personal financeKiwiSaverInterest ratesTaxInvestment
    • EconomyInflationGDPOfficial cash rateEmployment
    • Small business
    • Business reportsMood of the BoardroomProject AucklandSustainable business and financeCapital markets reportAgribusiness reportInfrastructure reportDynamic business
    • Deloitte Top 200 Awards
    • CompaniesAged CareAgribusinessAirlinesBanking and financeConstructionEnergyFreight and logisticsHealthcareManufacturingMedia and MarketingRetailTelecommunicationsTourism
  • Opinion
    • All Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Editorials
    • Business analysis
    • Premium opinion
    • Letters to the editor
  • Politics
  • Sport
    • All Sport
    • OlympicsParalympics
    • RugbySuper RugbyNPCAll BlacksBlack FernsRugby sevensSchool rugby
    • CricketBlack CapsWhite Ferns
    • Racing
    • NetballSilver Ferns
    • LeagueWarriorsNRL
    • FootballWellington PhoenixAuckland FCAll WhitesFootball FernsEnglish Premier League
    • GolfNZ Open
    • MotorsportFormula 1
    • Boxing
    • UFC
    • BasketballNBABreakersTall BlacksTall Ferns
    • Tennis
    • Cycling
    • Athletics
    • SailingAmerica's CupSailGP
    • Rowing
  • Lifestyle
    • All Lifestyle
    • Viva - Food, fashion & beauty
    • Society Insider
    • Royals
    • Sex & relationships
    • Food & drinkRecipesRecipe collectionsRestaurant reviewsRestaurant bookings
    • Health & wellbeing
    • Fashion & beauty
    • Pets & animals
    • The Selection - Shop the trendsShop fashionShop beautyShop entertainmentShop giftsShop home & living
    • Milford's Investing Place
  • Entertainment
    • All Entertainment
    • TV
    • MoviesMovie reviews
    • MusicMusic reviews
    • BooksBook reviews
    • Culture
    • ReviewsBook reviewsMovie reviewsMusic reviewsRestaurant reviews
  • Travel
    • All Travel
    • News
    • New ZealandNorthlandAucklandWellingtonCanterburyOtago / QueenstownNelson-TasmanBest NZ beaches
    • International travelAustraliaPacific IslandsEuropeUKUSAAfricaAsia
    • Rail holidays
    • Cruise holidays
    • Ski holidays
    • Luxury travel
    • Adventure travel
  • Kāhu Māori news
  • Environment
    • All Environment
    • Our Green Future
  • Talanoa Pacific news
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Property Insider
    • Interest rates tracker
    • Residential property listings
    • Commercial property listings
  • Health
  • Technology
    • All Technology
    • AI
    • Social media
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology
    • Opinion
    • Audio & podcasts
  • Weather forecasts
    • All Weather forecasts
    • Kaitaia
    • Whangārei
    • Dargaville
    • Auckland
    • Thames
    • Tauranga
    • Hamilton
    • Whakatāne
    • Rotorua
    • Tokoroa
    • Te Kuiti
    • Taumaranui
    • Taupō
    • Gisborne
    • New Plymouth
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Dannevirke
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Levin
    • Paraparaumu
    • Masterton
    • Wellington
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Blenheim
    • Westport
    • Reefton
    • Kaikōura
    • Greymouth
    • Hokitika
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
    • Wānaka
    • Oamaru
    • Queenstown
    • Dunedin
    • Gore
    • Invercargill
  • Meet the journalists
  • Promotions & competitions
  • OneRoof property listings
  • Driven car news

Puzzles & Quizzes

  • Puzzles
    • All Puzzles
    • Sudoku
    • Code Cracker
    • Crosswords
    • Cryptic crossword
    • Wordsearch
  • Quizzes
    • All Quizzes
    • Morning quiz
    • Afternoon quiz
    • Sports quiz

Regions

  • Northland
    • All Northland
    • Far North
    • Kaitaia
    • Kerikeri
    • Kaikohe
    • Bay of Islands
    • Whangarei
    • Dargaville
    • Kaipara
    • Mangawhai
  • Auckland
  • Waikato
    • All Waikato
    • Hamilton
    • Coromandel & Hauraki
    • Matamata & Piako
    • Cambridge
    • Te Awamutu
    • Tokoroa & South Waikato
    • Taupō & Tūrangi
  • Bay of Plenty
    • All Bay of Plenty
    • Katikati
    • Tauranga
    • Mount Maunganui
    • Pāpāmoa
    • Te Puke
    • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua
  • Hawke's Bay
    • All Hawke's Bay
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Havelock North
    • Central Hawke's Bay
    • Wairoa
  • Taranaki
    • All Taranaki
    • Stratford
    • New Plymouth
    • Hāwera
  • Manawatū - Whanganui
    • All Manawatū - Whanganui
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Manawatū
    • Tararua
    • Horowhenua
  • Wellington
    • All Wellington
    • Kapiti
    • Wairarapa
    • Upper Hutt
    • Lower Hutt
  • Nelson & Tasman
    • All Nelson & Tasman
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Tasman
  • Marlborough
  • West Coast
  • Canterbury
    • All Canterbury
    • Kaikōura
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
  • Otago
    • All Otago
    • Oamaru
    • Dunedin
    • Balclutha
    • Alexandra
    • Queenstown
    • Wanaka
  • Southland
    • All Southland
    • Invercargill
    • Gore
    • Stewart Island
  • Gisborne

Media

  • Video
    • All Video
    • NZ news video
    • Herald NOW
    • Business news video
    • Politics news video
    • Sport video
    • World news video
    • Lifestyle video
    • Entertainment video
    • Travel video
    • Markets with Madison
    • Kea Kids news
  • Podcasts
    • All Podcasts
    • The Front Page
    • On the Tiles
    • Ask me Anything
    • The Little Things
  • Cartoons
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-editions
  • Photo sales
  • Classifieds

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / Sport

Motorsport: Stoner's long ride into sunset enters emotional Oz phase

AAP
26 Oct, 2012 04:30 PM3 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

Phillip Island represents an emotional farewell for Casey Stoner. Photo / Andrew Brownbill

Phillip Island represents an emotional farewell for Casey Stoner. Photo / Andrew Brownbill

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

It started in May when Casey Stoner told MotoGP: "I'm just not that into you".

This weekend, the long goodbye for the Australian his peers rate as the fastest and best on two wheels enters its most bittersweet phase.

It will be Stoner's last Australian Grand Prix as he attempts to win six in a row at Victoria's Phillip Island before he retires at the end of the season, aged just 27.

Record crowds are expected for the final home soil appearance of Stoner's glittering career.

Many will be asking the same question - virtually all who have ridden world motorcycling's premier class are.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Just as he was expected to ride into history, why is Stoner instead riding into the sunset?

If his sport was simply about racing bikes at high speed, two-time MotoGP world champion Stoner would not be quitting at the peak of his powers.

But it is the circuit life and its off-track demands, and where he sees the sport heading, that have sapped love from marrow.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Stoner, who has battled illness and injury throughout his career, knows also the extraordinary stress MotoGP riding puts on bodies.

Bodies which absorb phenomenal shudder and force for 20 races and countless laps a year, not to mention the regular high-speed crashes - even for great riders like Stoner.

So many past champions walk with a limp or shake hands with bent, wizened fingers.

From a bike, there is nothing to catch you when you fall.

Discover more

Motorsport

Motorsport: Inkster fights back in tight Targa battle

25 Oct 11:19 PM
Motorsport

Motorsport: Injured Stoner sets practice pace

26 Oct 01:53 AM
Sport|motorsport

Motorsport: Big scrap before track overhaul

26 Oct 04:30 PM
New Zealand

NZ land speed record set

27 Oct 07:30 PM

Stoner has chased the dream since he was 14 - moving with his family to England to work his way through the road racing classes.

These days, he has his own family - wife Adriana and baby daughter Alli - and a wish to spend quality time with them.

Stoner goes into Phillip Island just weeks after ankle surgery to repair a serious injury following a fall.

It wrote off his chances of a third world crown to add to his 2007 and 2011 titles.

But he has recovered well enough - though he admits he is still in pain - to farewell Phillip Island.

"It's been built up to be a very big weekend," Stoner said. "The only thing I can do is my best."

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Whatever the result tomorrow, Stoner will leave the sport recognised as one of its greats. He is fourth on the all-time world 500cc/MotoGP winners' list.

Only Italian superstars Valentino Rossi and Giacomo Agostini and Australian Mick Doohan have won more races than his 37.

At the track he has dominated since 2007, Stoner's achievements in world motorcycling will forever be recognised.

A move from two wheels to four looms as his next career move.

The late Gregg Hansford and Gardner both made the transition from the world motorcycle championship to driving touring cars.

It will come as no surprise if he excels.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Stoner has always been swift.

Sadly, so too was his top-flight motorcycling career.

-AAP

Save

    Share this article

Latest from Sport

Tennis

Alcaraz continues Wimbledon title defence

04 Jul 09:40 PM
Premium
Opinion

Opinion: Women's rugby steps forward with boots designed just for them

04 Jul 09:01 PM
Premium
All Blacks

'Exceeded my expectations': Barrett on transformative Irish rugby journey

04 Jul 09:00 PM

There’s more to Hawai‘i than beaches and buffets – here’s how to see it differently

sponsored
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from Sport

Alcaraz continues Wimbledon title defence

Alcaraz continues Wimbledon title defence

04 Jul 09:40 PM

The defending men's champion is on the charge, while the women's seeds are tumbling.

Premium
Opinion: Women's rugby steps forward with boots designed just for them

Opinion: Women's rugby steps forward with boots designed just for them

04 Jul 09:01 PM
Premium
'Exceeded my expectations': Barrett on transformative Irish rugby journey

'Exceeded my expectations': Barrett on transformative Irish rugby journey

04 Jul 09:00 PM
Kiwi thrilled to fulfil his Tour de France dream

Kiwi thrilled to fulfil his Tour de France dream

04 Jul 08:00 PM
From early mornings to easy living
sponsored

From early mornings to easy living

NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • NZ Herald e-editions
  • Daily puzzles & quizzes
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Subscribe to the NZ Herald newspaper
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • NZME Events
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP