Liane Lippert (Movistar) outsprinted Lotte Kopecky to snatch victory on stage two of the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift.
As the hilly second stage reached its conclusion, Lippert had enough power left to draw level with Kopecky as the two riders surged towards the line as they sprinted for the win. The Movistar rider did just enough to edge Kopecky and prevent the yellow jersey from grabbing a second stage win of the race in Mauriac.
Kopecky was forced to settle for second as Italian rider Silvia Persico (UAE Team ADQ) took third.
Attacks rained down on the final climb of the Cote de Trebiac as several riders looked to make a difference and unsettle Kopecky at the top of the general classification. Canyon // SRAM’s Kasia Niewiadoma was heavily involved in the action and launched several moves which proved to be unsuccessful.
SD Worx took charge of the remnants of the main peloton as they descended towards the final ramp to the line. Demi Vollering set a fast and furious pace at the front as she looked to lead out Kopecky which caused a small split at the front of the group. Vollering pushed on with several riders in her slip stream.
With the line in sight, Vollering got set to peel off but Lippert had already launched a stinging acceleration which caught Kopecky unawares. Ultimately the Belgian rider had left it too late to kick for the line and Lippert thundered past her to take the win.
Speaking after the stage, Lippert said that she had taken advantage of the wet conditions to steal the victory.
“I think it will take a little bit to realise it but I’m really happy,” she said. “It’s so special. I’m really happy and proud of this.
“I crashed two times - in the neutral and then on the climb. It was a bit of stress but the team did so well. Everybody was a big, big part of this. We came back and stayed calm in this rain. I always race well in the rain so I was happy when it started.”
“I didn’t think that I was going to win. I just focussed on Lotte [Kopecky] for the whole final and I stayed really calm,” she added. “My quality is more in the uphill and longer, harder sprints. But I didn’t believe it even when I crossed the line. I thought maybe there’s a breakaway gone or something. It still needs some time to realise.”
Lippert’s victory sees her jump to second overall behind Kopecky in the overall standings after Kopecky’s teammate Lorena Wiebes was left behind well before the finish.
After winning stage one in Clermont Ferrand, Kopecky took the first yellow jersey of the race and now leads by 49 seconds ahead of Lippert.
The Tour de France Femmes continues on Tuesday with a flat 147 kilometre stage between Collonges-la-Rouge and Montignac-Lascaux.
Tour de France Femmes 2023: Stage two Clermont Ferrand to Mauriac results
1. Liane Lippert (Deu) Movistar, in 04-13-43
2. Lotte Kopecky (Bel) SD Worx,
3. Silvia Persico (Ita) UAE Team ADQ,
4. Ashleigh Moolman-Pasio (Rza) AG Insurance - Soudal Quick - Step,
5. Christina Schweinberger (Aut) Fenix-Deceuninck,
6. Cecille Uttrup-Ludwig (Den) FDJ Suez,
7. Demi Vollering (Ned) SD Worx,
8. Kasia Niewiadoma (Pol) Canyon // SRAM,
9. Annemiek van Vleuten (Ned) Movistar,
10. Tamara Dronova Israel-Premier Tech Roland, all at same time.
General classification after stage two
1. Lotte Kopecky (Bel) SD Worx in 07-17-36
2. Liane Lippert (Deu) Movistar, at 49s
3. Ashleigh Moolman-Pasio (Rza) AG Insurance - Soudal - QuickStep, at 59s
4. Demi Vollering (Ned) SD Worx,
5. Cecille Uttrup Ludwig (Den) FDJ-Suez,
6. Tamara Dronova Israel - Premier Tech Roland,
7. Elisa Longo Borghini (Ita) Lidl-Trek,
8. Annemiek van Vleuten (Ned) Movistar,
9. Kasia Niewiadoma (Pol) Canyon // SRAM, all same time
10. Ane Santesteban (Esp) Jayco-AIUla, at 1-03
