Palmer strikes again in Coogee
Crashes disrupt criterium
Many people were expecting another Sutton and Matthews showdown in Coogee but it was the winner of the opening Grand Prix, Tom Palmer riding of Drapac Porsche that went from a long way out and defied the sprinters with a tremendous burst of speed.
Bernie Sulzberger tried hard for Fly V Australia but could not bridge the gap and Michael Matthews, racing in his World Championship jersey, was angry with himself for crossing the line in third place.
Joe Lewis rounded out a great day for Drapac and Chris Sutton (Team Sky) kept his overall lead by grabbing fifth place just ahead of Russian Alex Servos. Sutton is equal with Bernie Sulzberger with 38 points. Tom Palmer moved to third place overall on 30 points with Michael Matthew next on 26 points, one clear of the very consistent Graeme Brown.
The race was reduced to a much smaller field towards the back end of the race when Graeme Brown fell and many of the cyclists stopped claiming they had been blocked. Chief Commissaire Glenn Vigar moved swiftly and eliminated those that took the lap out for a rest. Brown was the only rider that had stopped that escaped a penalty and maintained his aggressive racing for the rest of the event.
The men will now ride the Cronulla Grand Prix, the final event of the NSW Grand Prix Series on Sunday.
1 | Tom Palmer (Aus) Drapac | 12 | pts |
2 | Bernard Sulzberger (Aus) Fly V Australia | 10 | Row 1 - Cell 3 |
3 | Michael Matthews (Aus) AIS | 8 | Row 2 - Cell 3 |
4 | Joe Lewis (Aus) Drapac | 7 | Row 3 - Cell 3 |
5 | Chris Sutton (Aus) Team Sky | 6 | Row 4 - Cell 3 |
6 | Alex Servos (Rus) Russia | 5 | Row 5 - Cell 3 |
7 | Graeme Brown (Aus) Rabobank | 4 | Row 6 - Cell 3 |
9 | Greg Henderson (Nzl) Team Sky | 3 | Row 7 - Cell 3 |
10 | Wes Sulzberger (Aus) FDJ | 2 | Row 8 - Cell 3 |
1 | Chris Sutton (Aus) Team Sky | 38 | pts |
2 | Bernard Sulzberger (Aus) Fly V Australia | 38 | Row 1 - Cell 3 |
3 | Tom Palmer (Aus) Drapac | 30 | Row 2 - Cell 3 |
4 | Michael Matthews (Aus) AIS | 26 | Row 3 - Cell 3 |
5 | Graeme Brown (Aus) Rabobank | 25 | Row 4 - Cell 3 |
6 | Wes Sulzberger (Aus) FDJ | 14 | Row 5 - Cell 3 |
7 | Joe Lewis (Aus) Drapac | 14 | Row 6 - Cell 3 |
8 | Alex Servos (Rus) Russia | 6 | Row 7 - Cell 3 |
9 | Rico Rodgers (Aus) Budget Forklifts | 5 | Row 8 - Cell 3 |
10 | Tom Scully (Aus) Garmin Transitions | 5 | Row 9 - Cell 3 |
The latest race content, interviews, features, reviews and expert buying guides, direct to your inbox!

Stephen is one of the most experienced member of the Cyclingnews team, having reported on professional cycling since 1994. He has been Head of News at Cyclingnews since 2022, before which he held the position of European editor since 2012 and previously worked for Reuters, Shift Active Media, and CyclingWeekly, among other publications.
Latest on Cyclingnews
-
The Garmin Fenix 8 is the very latest in Garmin's smartwatch tech – now with a rare $100 off in this Amazon Prime Day deal
If you're considering an upgrade to your fitness-tracking technology, this Garmin smartwatch deal is well worth grabbing fast -
Fresh sunglasses are one of the key cycling style choices, and some of the nicest pairs are on sale right now for Amazon Prime Day
There are some excellent cycling sunglasses on sale now for Amazon Prime Day -
Canyon is offering 30% discount on this e-bike for Amazon Prime Day, plus four more electric bike deals worth checking out
Whether you're looking for an electric bike for road, gravel or urban commuting, these are the best Prime Day deals around -
Ben O'Connor still hoping for Tour de France joy after 'horrible' opening days
Australian limited losses in time trial and feeling 'a little bit better' after crash