BMC Racing Team’s Dillier and Stuyven of Trek-Segafredo were part of a late five-man breakaway on the 217 kilometres race from Reggio Calabria to Terme Luigiane.

But it was the former who ultimately prevailed with a time of 4 hours 58min 1sec to claim his maiden Grand Tour stage win.

Austria’s Lukas Pöstlberger of Bora-Hansgrohe rounded out the top three.

Luxembourg’s Bob Jungels of Quick-Step retained the overall lead with an eighth-place finish today.

Team Sky's Geraint Thomas is still Jungels’ nearest challenger, six seconds behind, while  fellow Briton Adam Yates of Orica-Scott is 10 seconds back in third.

"The break going clear meant it was a bit less stressful, although it was still pretty stressful - there might have been splits so everyone wanted to be at the front," Thomas was reported as saying by BBC Sport.

"I felt pretty good.

"It's just a case of getting through these stages.

"It's always a bit weird on stages like today and yesterday - you're not completely switched on like you might be on a big day.

"But the legs seem to be okay."

Defending champion and home favourite Vincenzo Nibali and 2014 winner Nairo Quintana of Colombia are on the same time as Yates.

Tomorrow’s stage is a 224km ride from Castrovillari to Alberobello.

The three-week race is due to conclude in Milan on May 28.

Today also saw the first stage of the International Cycling Union (UCI) Tour of California women's road race.

Megan Guarnier of the United States claimed victory in the opening leg as the Boels-Dolmans rider got over the line in front of team-mate Anna van der Breggen of The Netherlands, with Astana's Cuban cyclist Arlenis Sierra coming third.