Ben Healy picked up a brilliant win on the final day of the Road National Championships in Dungannon, Co Tyrone, to cap off a groundbreaking couple of months that also featured a Giro d'Italia stage win.

An opening loop with an unrelenting pace, the elite men's race was an 164.3km epic featuring six laps of an intense race circuit.

After multiple attacks off the front, a select group of 15 got away that featured most of the big names, including Sam Bennett, Rory Townsend, Ryan Mullen, Dillon Corkery and Healy.

Darren Rafferty was perhaps the biggest name to miss that decisive move, while Aaron Wade suffered a mechanical issue and dropped out of that group before the action kicked off.

Healy wasn't prepared to take his chances in the bigger group and put in some strong digs along the punchy climbs to narrow it down to six in front with six chasers ahead of the main group.

Initially gaining a modest gap of around one minute, the leaders included Healy, Townsend, Bennett, Mullen, Corkery and Leo Doyle as Conn McDunphy, Daire Feeley, Luke Smith, Pat McLean, Kevin McCambridge and Ewan Warren chased behind at +0:37.

It all came back together behind the six leaders as Healy again tried to get the jump on his breakaway compatriots on Killyliss climb and really opened the taps to soar away.

That group wouldn't see Healy again for much of the race as he built a gap of over 30 seconds with four laps to go.

The five chasers behind worked well together and looked likely to reel Healy in, coming as close as fifteen seconds before the gap began to increase again.

A talented time trialist, Healy was well able to set a blistering pace throughout flat sections and packed a punch on the sharp climbs that came his way.

In the group behind, teammates Mullen and Bennett were forced to do the chasing, while Townsend bided his time waiting to make his move. Crokery and Doyle battled well and proved they could mix it up with the best - Corkery in particular not shy to take to the front and join the chase.

At the beginning of lap five, Townsend made his move as he split the breakaway and went off in chase of Healy - who still dangled between twenty and forty seconds ahead in parts of the previous laps. Back in the main group, the pace slowed down in the final laps as U23 riders knew they would compete for that title amongst themselves.

Bennett was the only one who could hold defending champion Townsend's wheel initially as Mullen gave his last dig to try and stay in touch. In the back straight of the penultimate lap, Townsend would go at it alone as he left Bennett in his wake - who had given his all in pursuit of glory.

Townsend looked to have the upper hand with 25km to go, closing the gap down to just twenty seconds before the Killyliss climb, but Healy found an extra gear as he upped the pace in the final lap - powering away as Townsend started to feel the heat after expending a huge amount of energy to split the chasers.

Healy cruised through the final kilometers of the circuit and had time to sit up and take in the moment, as he crossed the line and became national champion.

Townsend hung on to claim second, while Bennett was caught by the remnants of the break but was able to sprint to bronze.

The U23 race was won by Jamie Meehan in an exciting sprint - edging Darren Rafferty and Odhran Doogan respectively in the U23 category. With all U23 riders within the main bunch in the final laps, there was plenty of excitement behind

In the women's junior race, Lucy Benezet Minns was dominant throughout as she attacked almost from the first kilometre to a solo victory.

Elite Men's (Incorporating u23's) Road Race
1. Ben HEALY (EF Education–EasyPost) 3:37:53   
2. Rory TOWNSEND (Bolton Equities Black Spoke) +4:12
3. Sam BENNETT (Bora Hansgrohe) +5:49
4. Ryan MULLEN (Bora Hansgrohe) +5:50
5. Dillon CORKERY (CC Etupes) 3:43:44    ''
6. Mark DOWLING (All human/VeloRevolution Racing Team) +7:06
7. Jamie MEEHAN (Brocar Ale) '' (U23)
8. Darren RAFFERTY (Hagens Berman Axeon)  '' (U23)
9. Jesse EWART (Terengganu Polygon Cycling Team) ''
10. Leo DOYLE (ARBO – Headstart ON Fahrrad) +8:05