Casey Stoner was simply supposed to be celebrating the release of the game Ride 6, where he appears among the playable legends. But during an interview given to Crash.net, Casey Stoner made a much more personal confession: his health has deteriorated again, preventing him from enjoying motorcycling as he had hoped.
The two-time MotoGP world champion (2007, 2011) seemed to be on the right track for 2025. He had rediscovered the joy of riding, felt fit, and was starting to invest himself in his passion again. Until everything changed after a trip to Europe, notably marked by his participation in the VR46 Motor Ranch de Valentino Rossi and by attending the EICMA trade fair in Milan.
« Unfortunately, a few months ago, my health deteriorated, and I haven't been able to ride my motorcycle much. Before that, I had gotten back into riding and was very happy with my physical condition. Then, suddenly, I returned from Europe, I caught a virus and relapsed into chronic fatigue.So I had to put the motorcycle aside, but I hope that this year we can get back into the swing of things and start enjoying riding again. »
Casey Stoner, an unexpected ailment: arms giving way
The last time that Stoner mounted on a motorcycle dating back to the VR46 Motor RanchHe speaks frankly about this experience, without hiding any of his physical difficulties.
« It was good. We were slowly starting to do something, a bit more around motorcycles and that sort of thing, but I was struggling a lot with a metacarpal injury, the kind that causes compartment syndrome in the arm. »
The old pilot Honda et Ducati He explains that he had never really suffered from compartment syndrome during his career, unlike many drivers in the paddock. But this time, the sensations were different… and worrying.
« I'd never really suffered from it. I thought it was just a simple arm injury and I kept telling myself, "The more I run, the less serious it will be," but it was getting worse. So, at Vale Ranch, I couldn't string together more than four or five turns. without my arms contracting so much that it was unbearable »
For a driver known for his physical, instinctive driving, capable of controlling slides at the limit without relying on electronics, this loss of sensation is almost cruel.
Between March 2002 and November 2012, Stoner He had never encountered this type of problem before. Ironically, it was more than a decade after his retirement that he discovered this weakness.
He does, however, mention a slight, gradual improvement during his latest attempts in 2025: We got back on a motorcycle in 2025, it was a bit better despite some slight discomfort in my arms; in fact, as the evening progressed, just as we were about to stop, my arms started to feel better and better, and we were able to do several laps."But the prolonged break, combined with recent health problems, has broken this momentum."
Stoner He readily admits it: the body doesn't forget so easily… especially after years away from competition.
« But since I've been away from motorcycling for a while due to health problems, my body is struggling to recover quickly., particularly regarding blood circulation in my armsIt's an activity I'd been doing for years and that I've completely stopped. I've hardly touched a motorcycle for seven or eight years.So it's going to take me some time to regain my arm strength. »
This testimony is particularly poignant when one recalls the brutality of his retirement at the end of 2012, at only 27 years old, when he was still at the peak of his career. Since then, the Australian has always maintained an ambivalent relationship with motorcycling: undiminished passion, but fragile health.
À 40 years past, Stoner He no longer talks about titles or times. He talks about pleasure. About health. About patience.
What's striking is the lucidity. No heroic speeches, no posturing. Just the reality of a former champion who has to deal with a body less cooperative than before.
Number 27 isn't promising a spectacular comeback. He simply hopes to be able to ride again. For the sheer joy of it.
And in a way, that may be his biggest challenge since his retirement: to rediscover the motorcycle, not to win, but to feel alive on it.
