Germany's Liane Lippert mastered the slippery conditions and a puncture Monday to sprint to victory in the second stage of the 2023 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 hurt her arm after crashing against a security barrier while leading.

Movistar's Lippert pipped Kopecky on the line, timing 4 hours, 13 minutes, 43 seconds after the 151-kilometer run from Clermont-Ferrand to Mauriac in the Auvergne region of south-central France.

"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," she explained. "I understood why when I discovered after the line that my rear wheel was flat." 

Dutch riders Yara Kastelijn, Anouska Koster and Van Agt, made a break with 40 kilometers 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, 46 kilometers before the line.

Kopecky leads Lippert by 49 seconds in the overall standings, with van Vleuten slipping to nearly a minute behind the leader.

Tuesday's 147.2-kilometer third stage should suit the sprinters. It'll run between Collonges-la-Rouge and Montignac-Lascaut in Dordogne.