Jum, it is exactky what it is so say it and (from memory here) I recall a quote after the retirement announcement that used that very word a written quite so cannot verify it's accuracy), but it is bored.
Whilst some call it mentally weak, while other now want him to hang around and 'whinge' (my words) to DORNA to change things (and they will then complain of him sepaking out), to me the simplicity is that he is bored today by what has happened and does not want to be bored further by what he sees as the inevitable.
Everything Stoner said, and the body language he showed to me was in a word .............. bored.
He is bored by the direction of the sport, bored by lack of competetive machiner for people he feels are competitive riders, bored by the media circus, bored by the attention he gets (and does not seek), bored by the endless travel and time away from family, bored, bored, bored. It sounded to me that he was bored by it all and in need of a new challenge, thus he decided to remove what has bored him and yet we still see character assination by people who seem to have the 'ownership' complex that these sports people are there for us and to deny us the ability to see them is demeaning to us.
We do not own these people, nor do they own us and hwen they choose to stop should be celebrated for what they have given us, the enjoyment of their abilities on show and yes, even the enjoyment some get from mocking of the individual. When SToner leaves he leaves a hole not just for his fans but for his critics and haters, those that demean his ability and still look for excuses and those that character assasinate.
No wonder really that a person who does not seek the glorification nor seeks or understands the hatred leaves the sport really.
In Krops argument was a great line (and I paraphrase it) where Stoner says that he still enjoys riding bikes and wants to keep enjoying it, but that he does not want to retire in years ahead and not want to ride for enjoyment. Maybe a dig at people but to me an insight that I rather enjoyed reading as it still sounds like a kid in a candy store when it comes to wanting to ride and enjoy.
Call it stupid, but I do genuinely believe the sport has lost something, but will recover quickly from it and all the while Stoner will be sitting somewhere content with what he achieved in a sport and knowing that he has health, time to do another activity and most of all, a caring family.
