The Alé Cipollini rider proved fastest across the 151 kilometre stage, crossing the line in a time of 3 hours, 57min and 10sec.

Hosking made her move with around 100 metres to go with only Drops rider Alice Barnes of Great Britain able to launch a similar challenge on the long, final straight.

Barnes took second in the same time with Ellen van Dijk of The Netherlands, riding for Team Sunweb, taking third.

“It seemed like a number of the teams wanted the finish to be from the group," said Hosking.

"There was a group of five that got away and for me that was a bit worrying.

"There were girls like Shara Gillow and Gracie Elvin – both Australians, both really, really strong – and the course wasn’t dead flat.

"It took a bit of effort to drag them in.

"Once we caught them everybody switched their mindset to a bunch sprint. 

"It was a bit chaotic, which is strange because it was probably the least technical finish we have all week.

"But it was nice that the sprinters got a chance.”

Katarzyna Niewiadoma of Poland, who won the opening stage, managed to retain her general classification lead following a 25th place finish today.

She has an overall time of 11:38:21 with Van Dijk moving into second, 1:43 behind the Pole.

Following her second place finish today, Barnes regained the Adams Best British riders jersey from her sister Hannah, who was sixth.

Barnes moves third overall while her elder sibling is fourth, both 1:46 back from Niewiadoma.

Tomorrow's 123km fourth stage starts and finishes in Chesterfield. 

Racing will conclude on Sunday (June 11) with a 62km stage that starts and finishes on Regent Street in London.

The Women’s Tour is a part of the UCI Women’s WorldTour, which is made up of 20 events around the world in 10 different countries.