There was joy at the finishing line as cyclists rolled into Escondido on the last stage of the Tour of California.
Thousands of people lined the 97-mile route from Rancho Bernardo to Escondido, which included a five-thousand foot climb up Palomar Mountain.
Seven-time Tour de France winner Lance Armstrong said he was impressed with the difficulty of the course as well as the crowds.
Armstrong: Ya'know, I heard stories about people camping out last night. Very-very European-esc Amazing. But the crowds all week have been amazing.
Armstrong finished seventh overall. His teammate -- Levi Leipheimer of Northern California -- won the overall victory for the third year in a row.