Aleksejs Saramotins has almost made the Latvian champion's jersey his own and today he secured the right to wear it for another year as he won his national road race championships for the sixth time. At the same time, his win brought home the first ever national road race title for his brand-new IAM team.

Aleksejs Saramotins has dominated the Latvian national championships for almost a decade and today he continued that domination by taking his 6th ever win at the event. He held off Gatis Smukulis (Katusha) and Andris Smirnovs (Doltcini Flanders) on a 168km course around Smiltene.

Ever since he first stepped onto the podium after taking 3rd in 2004, Saramotins has only missed the top 3 on one occasion - in 2008 where he finished a disappointing 18th. Even more remarkably, that was also the only time for him to miss the top 2 since 2005.

The win signals his return to form after his bad crash in the Paris-Roubaix which left him with a fractured scaphoid. He returned to competitive action on May 25 and since gradually built up a sufficient condition to take his sixth ever win at his national championships.

At the same time, the win was a sweet revenge over Smukulis who had beaten him into second in Thursday's time trial. The victory brings the number of IAM national championships up to two as Gustav Larsson took the first on Friday at the Swedish time trial championships. The team hopes to add to its tally tomorrow where it has a strong line-up for its big home race in Switzerland.

Result:

1. Aleksejs Saramotins

2. Gatis Smukulis

3. Andris Smirnovs