Johnston clinched the men's A grade title with a time of 4:17:06 on Sunday but the mountain bike rider wishes he got a chance to race more established stars.

Canberra Cycling Team's Emma Viotto (3:20:23) claimed the women's A grade title, pipping Roues Chades Cycling Club's Erin Nolan.

The victors both ride for mountain biking team Trek Shimano and blitzed the Mount Majura climb on Saturday to put themselves on the path to glory.

Canberra went without a National Road Series race this year, meaning the likes of Rebecca Wiasak and a host of other leading riders didn't take part in the National Capital Tour.

Wiasak was competing in a National Road Series event - the Battle on the Border in Tweed Valley - instead of competing in her hometown due to a scheduling clash that robbed Canberra of some big-name cyclists.

Cycling Australia is committed to bringing an NRS event back to Canberra and Johnston would be keen to put his regular mountain bike ambitions on hold to test himself against the best.

"It was disappointing it wasn't a part of the National Road Series because it would have been to go up against a few more of those established guys in the NRS teams," Johnston said.

"Maybe if it's part of the NRS again one day it would be good, I might give that a crack and test myself against those guys."

Viotto finished second in the stage two kermesse behind Ruby Livingstone while Sean Whitfield claimed bragging rights in the second stage of the men's event.

Livingstone backed it up with a stage three win in the criterium event (36:56), while Penrith Cycling Club's Stephen Cuff (55:32) finished just ahead of Ben Hill and Johnston in stage three of the men's tour.

"It got down to three of us for the last half, there was a few attacks from Ben Hill, second in the overall so I suppose he was trying to get away from me," Johnston said.

"I was strong enough to follow him around and we just finished together in a group of three and I was third in the group.

"There's much more time to be gained on the climb so it was ideal for me to target that as a stage."

Viotto was battling with illness in the lead up to Canberra cycling's showpiece event but pulled through to finish on top of the podium - a finish Johnston says wouldn't be possible without her switch to mountain biking.

"She's riding well even though she's been under the weather lately," Johnston said.

"She made the switch to mountain biking over the last couple of years and I think it's really toughened her up.

"When the road race is happening if you're not suffering, you're not really used to it. The mountain bike racing can harden you up for the road, that's for sure."