Lisa Brennauer won the stage-two time trial to secure the race lead ©Twitter/UCI_WWT

Germany’s Lisa Brennauer won stage two, an individual time trial, to assume the overall race lead at the Madrid Challenge by La Vuelta.

Brennauer was hoping to match her performance of last year, where a time-trial triumph provided her with the foundation to win the International Cycling Union (UCI) Women’s WorldTour race.

The Ceratizit-WNT Pro Cycling team leader produced a strong rider on the 9.3-kilometre course in Boadilla del Monte.

Brennauer completed the time trial, which was held in wet conditions, in 12min 40sec to secure the stage victory.

She finished just one second clear of Italy’s Elisa Longo Borghini.

Dutch star Ellen van Dijk placed third, four seconds shy of the stage winner.

"I had to ride conservatively at the beginning and maybe I lost a few seconds," Brennauer said.

"When I was able to go faster, I gave it all until the finish line."

The time trial saw Brennauer move to the top of the overall standings, with overnight leader Lorena Wiebes ending 28 seconds behind on the stage.

Brennauer holds a 10-second advantage over Longo Borghini heading into tomorrow’s final stage.

Van Dijk lies third at 13 seconds down.

The race will conclude tomorrow with a 100km stage in Spain’s capital Madrid.