Irish cyclist Ben Healy takes big win at Baby Giro | Sticky Bottle

*Ben Healy claims a brilliant solo win on the final stage of the Baby Giro today, this continuing his record of scoring wins on the biggest races*

Ben Healy, the Irish elite and U23 road race champion, has taken a brilliant solo win on the final stage of the Baby Giro today.

The 20-year-old riding for UK-based Continental team Trinity Racing has ridden a fantastic Baby Giro.

And though he was unlucky to suffer badly in the heat on stage 2, when he lost almost two minutes, he went on to take 2nd in the stage 4 TT, losing out by just one second, and placed 3rd the following day on stage 5.

He was pulled into riding for team mate Thomas Gloag in recent days as Gloag was 4th overall. But today Healy got a chance for himself again and when he got clear in the breakaway he made no mistake.

*Juan Ayuso (Colpack Ballan) in action today and he has retained the leader's jersey, thus wrapping up the overall victory - as well as winning all other classifications*

Healy, who became the youngest ever winner of a Tour de l'Avenir stage two years ago, was out on his own today at the end of the 162.7km stage from San Vito al Tagliamento to Castelfranco Veneto.

He initially got clear in a three-rider breakaway that gained almost three minutes on the peloton before going solo later in the stage.

The Irishman broke away, around the halfway point in the stage, with Dutch rider Dan Hoole (SEG Racing) and Italian Jacopo Menegotto (General Store Essegibi F lli Curia).

As they built up their lead of almost three minutes on the peloton, which contained race leader Juan Ayuso (Colpack Ballan), they were pursued by a chasing group.

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However, while the chasers persisted with their efforts for a prolonged period of the stage, they were unable to catch the leading trio. And Healy then went on to leave his breakaway companions behind and take a very strong win

Menegotto and Hoole survived for 2nd and 3rd places, sprinting it out some 38 seconds after the Irish winner crossed the line. The large peloton finished 54 seconds down on the victorious Healy.

He adds this victory to his win at the Tour de l'Avenir two years ago and his stage win at Ronde de l'Isard last year, when he also won the elite and U23 road race crowns at the National Road Championships in Limerick as well as the U23 TT title.

Spanish 18-year-old Ayuso, who took the Baby Giro race lead after winning stage 2, has retained his maglia rosa on the final stage today. And so he has sealed the overall victory for 2021.

He took three stage wins in total and claimed victory in the points classification, young rider classification and climbers' classification despite the fact he is only a first-year U23 rider.