Women’s Tour de France | Things are looking up for Olivia Baril and her team

The rain came to spoil the party at the end of the second stage of the women’s Tour de France on Monday. The downpours that fell on the course with about fifteen kilometers to go in the 152 kilometer stage, disputed between Clermont-Ferrand and Mauriac, made the road slippery, which caused the fall of some runners.

For a second day in a row, it was a national champion who raised her arms at the finish line. Germany’s Liane Lippert (Movistar) sprinted ahead of yesterday’s winner and holder of the yellow jersey, Belgian Lotte Kopecky, who took full advantage of the work of her teammates from SD Worx — Protime at the end of the last climb of the day.

The Italian and teammate of Quebecer Olivia Baril at UAE Team ADQ, Silvia Persico, took third place. A ranking that looks like a relief as indicated by the athlete from Rouyn-Noranda, whose training had had a bad day on Sunday.

“It’s a better day for the team. Sylvia tried to go for the stage victory and as for me, I followed several dangerous attacks earlier in the race. I really had better feelings than yesterday [dimanche] “, argued Baril, who still has sights in the general classification, she who went from 48^e at 29^e rank in the provisional classification, 2 min 24 s from the lead.

Baril was the best Quebecer of the day, finishing 24th^e rank (+8s). Simone Boilard (St-Michel – Mavic – Auber93) is 39^e (+53s), Clara Emond (Arkéa) 47^e (+1 min 5 s), Magdeleine Vallières-Mill (EF Education – TIBCO – SVB) 124^e (+15 min 49 s) and Gabrielle Pilote-Fortin (Cofidis) 138^e (+15 min 52 sec).

Anouska Koster (Uno-X), Yara Kastelijn (Fenix-Deceuninck) and Eva van Agt (Jumbo – Visma) led the last third of the event, except that their lead over the peloton did not exceed one minute.

The leading trio turned into a duo when Kastelijn swerved to the left at the exit of a roundabout to avoid falling on the road which had become slippery. Then it was van Agt who fell heavily while passing under a parapet on a descent.

She did not make it to the finish and her team confirmed she was conscious when taken to hospital for a series of tests.

Koster and Kastelijn were caught up in the final climb, the Côte de Trébiac. SD Worx — Protime set the stage for their leader to win a second day in a row, except that Liane Lippert won by a bike in advance.

A 147 kilometer course between Collonges-la-Rouge and Montignac-Lascaux awaits the runners on Tuesday.