Thomas Palmer Wins Tour de Okinawa

By Drapac Professional Cycling The 2012 Tour de Okinawa was without a Prologue or TT but this did not stop?Tom Palmer?from taking another stage victory and for the first time in our 5 attempts the tour win! In a day that saw?Malcolm Rudolph?feature in a 2 man breakaway forming in the first 5 kilometres and building a maximum advantage of 11 minutes. As this was being reeled in?Lachlan Norris?put himself in a group of 6 which passed the 2 tired leaders and was only caught in the last 15 kilometres over some difficult undulating terrain. On the final climb of the day, which had claimed Palmer previously whilst wearing the Yellow Jersey, a selection of 18 was made with less than 10 kilometres remaining which included both Palmer and?Floris Goesinnen. Floris attempted to breakaway with Shinichi Fukushima but this was quickly nullified and Floris became super domestique to ensure a bunch sprint and that Palmer was in the best possible position. With one Nippo rider launching early Palmer kept his cool and began his sprint with 500 meters to go crossing the line several lengths ahead of his competitors also collecting the U23 classification to top off a great day. There could be no better way to finish the teams 2013 UCI campaign and what has been an incredible second half to the season where the team has finished no worse than second in any race since wearing the new ?KODA Australia branded jersey!