National Championships - Herregodts and Christen win for UAE; Engelhardt, Skaarseth, and Ermanov also win titles

Five more countries have had their national championships' road race held this Sunday afternoon with some brand new winners and a few surprises. These are always races in which tactics are unusual and sometimes, a few riders have breakthrough victories. In this case, a few names will be very happy to wear their new national champion jerseys over the next 12 months.

UAE Team Emirates - XRG have in the space of around an hour had three victors. After António Morgado, Jan Christen also confirmed his first Swiss national title in Courtètelle. He has done this after also winning the time trial, making it double success for the youngster. He beat Valentin Darbellay and Melk Zumstein this afternoon.

And UAE also struck gold in one of the most important and prestigious nationals' race - if not the most. Belgium, where it is also mandatory for the riders to participate according to the federation. Usually, most of the best are present, but even then, things can get out of control. The sprinters were expected to succeed in Brasschaat, but that was not the case. The teams of Tim Merlier and Jasper Philipsen played their cards, and missed out. Jonas Rickaert and Fabio van den Bossche were second and third on the day, losing the final sprint against UAE's Rune Herregodts who has taken the biggest win of his career.

In Germany, the hilly race finishing in Bad Liebenstein saw Felix Engelhardt of Jayco as the final winner, winning a five-man sprint featuring some of the best classics riders in the nation. Lennart Jasch and Nico Denz completed the podium; whilst Nils Politt and Georg Zimmermann finished just outside of it.

Roman Ermanov capped off a perfect Slovenian nationals' race for Bahrain - Victorious whilst Primoz Roglic could only manage fourth on the day; In Norway Uno-X dominated as expected whilst Anders Skaarset was the victor; and in Ireland it was Seth Dunwoody who took the title.