Lippert claims Stage 2 of women's Tour de France

Liane Lippert won Stage 2 of the women's tour de France on Monday. The Movistar rider completed the 151.7 kilometres between Clermont-Ferrand and Mauriac in four hours, 13 minutes and 43 seconds.

Liane Lippert became the first German to win a stage at the women's Tour de France. © Tour de France Femmes

Lotte Kopecky of the Team SD Worx finished second and Silvia Persico, riding for UAE Team ADQ, was third.

Kopecky, 27, kept the race leader's yellow jersey – 49 seconds ahead of Lippert.

Ashleigh Moolman Pasio is a further 10 seconds behind Lippert.

"I'm really happy," said the 25-year-old who became the first German to win a stage at the women's Tour de France.

"It's special and I'm really proud," she added.

As the stage neared its climax, Fenix-Deceuninck’s Yara Kastelijn, Anouska Koster – riding for Uno-X and Eva van Agt, of Jumbo Visma, were maintaining a 30 second lead on the peloton.

But as the rain lashed down, Van Agt crashed on the final descent.

On the final climb up the Cote de Trebiac, Kopecky's teammates tried to set her up for a second consecutive stage victory but the Belgian could not hold off Lippert who powered to the finish line to celebrate her first Tour de France stage win.

"The whole team was part of the victory," Lippert added. "After the crash we came back and stayed calm in the rain ... I always race well in the rain so I was kind of happy when it started."

Stage 3 on Tuesday will take the riders 147.2 kilometres between Collonges-la-Rouge and Montignac-Lascaux. The race finishes on 30 July in Pau.