The 27-year-old began the 112 kilometre stage in Ashbourne in the best British rider jersey, but was 16 seconds adrift of her rival and overall race leader Marianne Vos of The Netherlands.

Armitstead was able to join a 14-rider breakaway in an attempt to ignite her challenge for the overall race victory at the third edition of the race, which features on the International Cycling Union (UCI) Women’s World Tour.

Eventually the leading group began to break-up, with the British rider launching an attack inside the final 15km of the stage, as Vos’ Rabo Liv team stepped up their pursuit to preserve her overall lead.

Armitstead was joined at the head of the race by South Africa's Ashleigh Moolman, Italy’s Elisa Longo Borghini and Australia's Amanda Spratt.

After tackling a technical finish around Chesterfield, which featured several cobbled streets, Armitstead sprinted away from her breakaway companions to claim the win in a time of 2hr, 54min and 27sec.

The world champion pointed to the sky when crossing the line in tribute to British MP Jo Cox, who was murdered yesterday in West Yorkshire, near to where Armitstead was born.

Moolman and Borghini finished on the same time as the stage winner to end second and third on the stage, while Spratt crossed three seconds adrift in fourth.

The peloton was led over the line by Vos, but the Dutch rider came in 36 seconds down on the stage winner.

Armitstead’s victory now sees the Briton lead the overall classification by five seconds from Moolman, while Borghini is a further two seconds back.

Spratt and Vos will hope to challenge the home favourite in the final two stages, with defending champion Lisa Brennauer of Germany having highlighted, pre-race, tomorrow’s 199km stage from Nottingham to Stoke-on-Trent as potentially pivotal.