The Italian rider had never won a stage or race at either junior or senior level before today, but chose the grandest of stages to break the duck after winning atop the Campo Imperatore.

A clue of Bais’ climbing potential can be found in the fact that he topped the mountains classification in the 2021 Tour du Limousin, an event on the International Cycling Union’s continental circuits.

Bais, who rides for UCI ProTeam Eolo-Kometa, was part of a four-man breakaway on the 218 kilometres stage that began in Capua.

The group’s advantage over the rest of the field increased to more than 12 minutes and despite it coming down gradually late on, it was a day for the breakaway.

In the final 500 metres Bais had Karel Vacek of the Czech Republic and Team Corratec-Selle Italia and compatriot Simone Petilli of Intermarché-Circus-Wanty for company, after the other member of the break Henok Mulubrhan of Eritrea and Green Project-Bardiani CSF-Faizanè lost contact on a climb.

Bais produced a crucial acceleration in the final metres to win in 6hours 8min 40sec on the first mountain finish of the race, by nine seconds to Vacek and 16 to Petilli.

Belgium’s Remco Evenepoel of Lotto Soudal-QuickStep led home the peloton three minutes later.

There was no change to the general classification with Norway's Andreas Leknessund of Team DSM maintaining the Maglia Rosa for the fourth successive day, as he kept his 28-second lead over Evenepoel.

Frenchman Aurélien Paret-Peintre of AG2R Citroen Team makes up the top three, 30 seconds off the pace.

Tomorrow sees the riders tackle another hilly stage - covering 207km from Terni to Fossombrone.