Canberra cyclist Michael Rice had his arms outstretched, and a few places behind him his teammate had his fist in the air - this was the Axeon Hagen Berman team's day.
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Rice won the final stage of California's San Dimas stage race to finish fifth overall in the USA Cycling American road calendar event.
Rice is in the early stages of his stint with the Axeon Hagens Berman team - one of the world's leading cycling development outfits - and his win was the team's first road victory in the United States this season.
Top 10 finishes were the order of the event for 21-year-old Rice, who excelled in the 85-minute six-corner criterium to finish in 1:23:38.
The team's reputation for breeding future stars was done no harm with Rice's teammate Christopher Blevins finishing fourth on the stage and sixth overall.
Rice has a home base set up in Boulder, Colorado, but his schedule will see him racing across both the North American and the European circuits over the next few months.
