It came after a three-person break consisting of Bastianelli’s Alé Cipollini team-mate Anna Trevisi, also of Italy, as well as Cylance Pro Cycling’s Malgorzata Jasinska of Poland and WM3 Pro Cycling’s Lauren Kitchen of Australia, were closed down 3km from the end.

Dutch star Anna van der Breggen remains in the overall lead with just one stage remaining.

A reduced peloton of 50 then remained to contest the sprint, with Bastianelli only leading the Alé Cipollini charge because their main sprinter Chloe Hosking had already been dropped.

The Italian 2007 world champion duly timed her effort superbly to cross first in 3 hours 5min 9sec.

Finland's Lotta Lepistö, riding for Cervelo, took second place.

Italy's Wiggle High5 rider Giorga Bronzini also crossed in the same time for bronze.

Van der Breggen will now take the overall title barring a catastrophe in the final stage tomorrow after retaining her 63sec advantage over another home rider in Wiggle High5's Elisa Longo Borghini.

The Netherlands' Orica-Scott star Annemiek van Vleuten lies a further 36sec back in third.

Tomorrow's finale consists of a 124km journey from Torre del Greco to Torre del Greco.

Nine laps around an 11.1km circuit will be followed by a 24km climb up Mount Vesuvius.

This ascent will mark the only realistic opportunity for van der Breggen to be challenged.