The cycling team managed a total of four podium finishes – a gold, a silver and two bronze medals – in the Criterium, men’s and women’s elite mass start races, all somewhat historic achievements.

Nur Aisyah recorded a time of 2:48:39s to complete the 100.4km race along the Angkor Wat route, located around 320km from here. She ended the race in nail-biting fashion, with a neck-to-neck finish alongside Indonesian cyclist Magh Firotika Marenda.

The race was full of surprises, including a shock win by Vietnamese Pro Tour cyclist Nguyen Thi That, who beat favourite Jutatip Maneephan of Thailand with a time of 2:48:39s.

Cycling at an average speed of 5.72kph, the race began rather slow as cyclists cautiously conserved energy while pedalling their way through the course under scorching temperatures exceeding 39°C.

Competition was fierce in the last 15km, when cyclists from Vietnam, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore and Indonesia made their move towards the finish line.

Nur Aisyah admitted that she was surprised with her achievement of two bronze, in the Criterium and the women’s elite mass start events, but believes that it was a team effort.

“It’s really a sign of great teamwork and effort. All cyclists worked together well and followed the coach’s instructions and strategy,” she said.

National women’s squad coach Amir Mustafa Rusli stressed that the success at this year’s Games meant that the women cyclists showed tremendous improvement.

“I also see them learning from the men’s elite squad. They pick up technical methods and how to control the race. I’m happy with this development,” he added.

National team manager Norazman Abu Samah meanwhile shared that the four podium finishes marked a new era for Malaysia’s men’s and women’s road racing teams.

“I would like to congratulate all cyclists, coaches, mechanics and masseurs for their great cooperation in achieving the set target,” he said.