He may be quiet, but Casey Stoner’s a true champion

 

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World champion MotoGP racer Casey Stoner - AP Photo/Lai Seng Sin

On a recent trip to Italy, a few of the locals asked me what I thought of Casey Stoner. “Talented, current World Champion, a countryman, and an admirer of Valentino Rossi,” I replied. Which, in truth, was selling the young Australian short.

The important thing was that, despite his riding for the revered Italian marque of Ducati, those I spoke to had much the same reaction.

Unlike local hero Valentino Rossi, Stoner isn’t an excitable character. He’s not prone to outbursts of frustration or jubilation. And that’s what has worked for him.

A clinical performance in last season’s MotoGP series is proof of this.

For many Italian motorcycling fans, however, this doesn’t work when it comes to being a target of adulation.

They are looking for an expressive hero for inspiration. Stoner rides the right machine, but he doesn’t lay enough rubber on the tarmac following a win.

There’s not enough flair on his race suit or bike livery, and like Australian champions such as Mick Doohan and Darryl Beattie before him, he doesn’t aim to woo the world’s media.

And during a season in which Stoner has fought back to be just 25 points off the lead of the MotoGP series, there still weren’t any overly enthusiastic reactions from Italians who followed the premier class of motorcycle racing.

Still, having an adoring public behind you doesn’t win races.

In truth it’s the Gold Coast native’s strength, and the reason why Ducati values him so highly.

Development of the team’s machine has been virtually the sole responsibility of Stoner come race weekend as team mate (and Italia) Marco Melandri has hit the showers early following a string of DNFs all season.

He’ll be moving on, but there’s no such talk about Stoner.

There’s a real likelihood that Casey will successfully defend his crown in 2008, despite a slight slip-up at Laguna Seca last weekend.

With only a race wins’ worth of points separating him and Rossi, Valentino will be wary of the subdued assassin who has proved that a mild manner hides a passion for winning that many Italians just don’t get to see on the outside.

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