Germany’s Liane Lippert on Monday mastered the slippery conditions and a puncture to sprint to victory in the second stage of the Women’s Tour de France just ahead of Belgian race leader Lotte Kopecky.
Lippert profited from many of her rivals falling on the wet roads of the Cantal region including Dutchwoman Eva van Agt, who sustained a concussion after crashing against a security barrier while leading, 4km from the line.
Movistar Team’s Lippert pipped Kopecky on the line, timing 4 hours, 13 minutes, 43 seconds after the 151km run from Clermont-Ferrand to Mauriac in the Auvergne region of southcentral France.
Photo: AFP
“It was a very intense day from the start and ultimately chaotic, but I was well placed by my team,” said Lippert, who was “relieved to have avoided falls.”
As a track specialist, Kopecky demonstrated her skills in slippery conditions, particularly in the last hour of racing and even survived a puncture in the final straight.
“I lacked grip in the last meters. I understood why when I discovered after the line that my rear wheel was flat,” she said.
Dutch riders Yara Kastelijn, Anouska Koster and Van Agt made a break with 40km to go, but were caught in the final bends of a chaotic finale.
Defending champion Annemiek van Vleuten, the Dutch race favorite, took a tumble on the Plaines climb, the main difficulty of the day 46km before the line.
Kopecky leads Lippert by 49 seconds in the overall standings with Van Vleuten slipping to nearly a minute behind the leader.
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