Liane Lippert emerged as the victor in the Tour de France, outpacing Lotte Kopecky over 150 kilometres, finishing fastest in Mauriac. However, Kopecky retained the leader’s jersey, earned by winning yesterday’s stage. The course had been a challenging hill stage to Mauriac, featuring six categorised climbs, four within the last 50 kilometres. During the race, various attacks were launched, but many were thwarted or resulted in mishaps. Kopecky was in pole position to secure her second stage victory in Mauriac but was overtaken by German champion Lippert, with Silvia Persico taking third place.
World champion Annemiek van Vleuten also suffered a fall during the stage but managed to continue without major injuries. She praised her teammate Lippert’s triumph, stating, “She is very strong on arrivals that are a bit uphill. This day is of course great for the team spirit.”
Meanwhile, Ashleigh Moolman-Pasio, despite riding in the green points jersey, came in fourth in the final sprint. She expressed her contentment with her performance and optimism for future victories.
Katarzyna Niewiadoma placed eighth but shared Moolman’s sentiments. She acknowledged the difficulty of the final climb, with many riders conserving their energy due to the anticipated challenging finish.
Lippert, after winning her first Tour de France Femmes stage, expressed her disbelief and joy. She had faced some hurdles during the race, including falling twice, but felt more at ease when it started raining, a condition she usually does well in. Lippert admitted that she didn’t expect to win against Kopecky, but she managed to overcome and secure her victory.
Lotte Kopecky, though finishing second on the stage, expressed some dissatisfaction due to her sliding on a roundabout, which she believed was due to a flat rear tyre. However, she was happy her team avoided any accidents on the slippery descent. Kopecky was able to retain the yellow jersey and expressed her anticipation for an easier day where the sprinters, including Lorena Wiebes, would get their chance.
Some riders left the race today. Notably, Eva van Agt was in the break but crashed badly into the road’s metal barrier on the final descent. She would be taken to hospital and listed as a concussion on the official injury report but a full update is pending. Fien Delbaere dropped back early but didn’t escape the broom wagon after suffering from nausea. There were crashes for Lauretta Hanson, Maria Giulia Confalonieri, Spela Kern, Dilyxine Miermont and Alison Jackson but all were able to finish.
2023 Tour de France Femmes Stage 2 result
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