![Liane Lippert celebrates taking victory on the second stage of the Tour de France Femmes](https://www.occasionaldigest.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/_130505364_gettyimages-1567600785.jpg)
Liane Lippert won the sprint for the line as the German claimed victory on the second stage of the Tour de France Femmes.
Belgian Lotte Kopecky, who won stage one, launched her sprint at the end of a wet, 152km hilly route from Clermont-Ferrand to Mauriac first.
But Lippert, 25, surged past her to take victory as Kopecky finished second, with Silvia Persico in third.
“It’s so special. I am really happy and proud of this,” said Lippert.
“I crashed two times in the neutral zone 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. The whole team came back after the crash and stayed calm in this rain.
“I always race well in the rain so I was actually happy when it started.”
Lopecky retained the overall lead of the race and holds a 49 second advantage over second-placed Lippert.
The third stage is a 147.2km route from Collonges-la-Rouge to Montignac-Lascaut in Dordogne, with the eight-stage race finishing on Sunday.
Stage two result
1. Liane Lippert (Ger/Movistar) 4hrs 13mins 43secs
2. Lotte Kopecky (Bel/SD Worx) Same time
3. Silvia Persico (Ita/UAE Team ADQ)
4. Ashleigh Moolman Pasio (SA/AG Insurance-Soudal Quick-Step)
5. Christina Schweinberger (Aut/Fenix-Deceuninck)
6. Cecilie Ludwig (Den/FDJ-Suez)
7. Demi Vollering (Ned/SD Worx) Same time
8. Katarzyna Niewiadoma (Pol/Canyon SRAM Racing)
9. Annemiek van Vleuten (Ned/Movistar)
10. Tamara Dronova (Rus/Israel Premier Tech Roland)
General classification
1. Lotte Kopecky (Bel/SD Worx) 7hrs 17mins 36secs
2. Liane Lippert (Ger/Movistar) +49secs
3. Ashleigh Moolman Pasio (SA/AG Insurance-Soudal Quick-Step) +59secs
4. Demi Vollering (Ned/SD Worx) Same time
5. Cecilie Ludwig (Den/FDJ-Suez)
6. Tamara Dronova (Rus/Israel Premier Tech Roland)
7. Elisa Longo Borghini (Ita/Lidl-Trek)
8. Annemiek van Vleuten (Ned/Movistar)
9. Katarzyna Niewiadoma (Pol/Canyon SRAM Racing)
10. Ane Santesteban (Spa/Jayco-AlUla)