Everything is summed up in ten kilometers, the last of the stage between Clermont-Ferrand and Mauriac, after the previous 142 only served to appreciate the taste of the Cantal château builders with slender round towers, or the mahogany Salers cows with lyre-shaped horns grazing in the green meadows while the cyclists circled in the peloton, with occasional short-distance skirmishes. A few falls, one of them by Annemiek Van Vleuten, without consequences, were the only incidents.
It was only when Kastelijn, Van Agt and Koster achieved a significant difference and the clouds that threatened hours earlier began to rain that the stage was released due to falls on the tarmac, which suddenly turned into an ice rink. Confalonieri, being thrown onto the pavement, opened the list of incidents on a wide street with no apparent danger, but when it came shortly after to one of the breakaways, Yara Kastelijn, having to take her foot off the pedal, at a roundabout in Ally, downhill and before a corner, the runners realized things were getting very complicated.
⏪ A German victory in Mauriac after a torrential downpour made the final difficult. Relive the last KM ⤵️
⏪ An Alleman win over Mauriac after a torrential downpour that gave the Piégeux final. Revive the best kilometer ⤵️#TDFF2023 #WatchTheFemmes @gozwift pic.twitter.com/8nCuGzRLQb
— Le Tour de France Femmes with Zwift (@LeTourFemmes) July 24, 2023
When the Dutchwoman tried to hit her head again a few kilometers from the finish line, it was Van Agt who slipped on the road and collided with the metal guardrail. There his escape and his tour ended, because the jumbo cyclist had to be evacuated to the hospital. All amidst the chaos with the very dangerous terrain and the bikes mingling with the riders descending towards the last hill, that of Trébiac, where Kastelijn and Koster were neutralized by a small group that grew larger as Van Vleuten took the lead to quell any attempt at rebellion. Movistar had its own plan, as did SD Worx the day before. It was to get the finish on the plate for the German champion Liane Lippert, who in the sprint finish passed Kopecky, the winner of the first stage and who continues to maintain the lead to give the Spanish team their first victory.
Level classification:
General ranking:
| position | runner | equipment | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | L. KOPECKY | TEAM SD WORX | 7:17:36 |
| 2 | L. LIPPERT | MOVISTAR TEAM WOMEN | +49s |
| 3 | A. MOOLMAN PASIO | AG INSURANCE – SOUDAL QUICK-STEP TEAM | +59s |
| 4 | Mr. Vollering | TEAM SD WORX | +59s |
| 5 | C.LUDWIG | +59s |
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