Injury will not end Stoner's season

Casey Stoner has vowed to fight out the rest of the MotoGP season despite having lost his title and his body aching from an injury. Stoner relinquished his world championship in Japan last weekend to Valentino Rossi and the pain of defeat was matched by the wrist injury he has battled in the past three races. He is due to have surgery at the end of the season - which heads to Phillip Island for the third-last round this weekend - but ruled out calling an early end to the year to prepared for next season.

"We found it [his wrist injury[ in Misano and it plagued us that weekend," Stoner said. "The rest of my body is trying to compensate for my weakness there and it really wore me out." He faces a two-month recovery from the time he goes under the knife but insists there's no need to wrap up his season. "There's no point in cutting it short unless I have a crash and injure it or it just really plays up again and I simply can't ride," he added.

"Considering it's not long until the end of the season I may as well continue it, see it out and just sit and rest over the off-season." [e-mail]