Irish cycling Road Race Championships men's race photos | Sticky Bottle

Photographer Toby Watson capatured the suffering and joy at the end of the National Road Race Championships elite and U23 men's race. Above, with Nicolas Roche at the TT title race last Thursday.

Photographer Toby Watson has captured the joy and pain of the top 6 men at the National Championships as they finished the race.

Even victor Ryan Mullen (Cannondale-Drapac) looked shattered. Chris McGlinchey, the Irish amateur who was 2nd, gave a modest wave at the finish; the ChainReactionCycles man acknowledging the cheers of the crowd.

Conor Dunne of Aqua Blue Sport came home solo in 3rd. He had been away on his own for a long period during the final two laps and he looked shattered.

Then finished Nicolas Roche (BMC Racing) and Sean McKenna (An Post-Chainreaction). They were together in 4th and 5th and McKenna in particular looked like he'd been in a battle.

But it was a very strong ride by McKenna who is in his first year of full-time cycling at Continental level.

Just behind that pair, Michael O'Loughlin of Team Wiggins came home for 6th place. He took elite bronze last year in Kilcullen, Co Kildare, and U23 gold.

And his 6th place was again good enough to take U23 gold, hence his smile as he crossed the line.