(UPDATED) Ronald Oranza won the Philippine cycling team's third medal of the 32nd Southeast Asian Games on Thursday when he finished third in the men's criterium in Cambodia.

Oranza crossed the finish line at 1:13:39.00, just behind Indonesia's Terry Yudha Kusuma (1:13:38.00) and Malaysia's Nur Amirull Mazuki (1:13.38.00).

"It was tough all the way," said the 30-year-old national team veteran who clinched his first SEA Games medal to add to his victory in local tours back home.

His teammate, Efren Reyes, was right behind Oranza while the third Filipino cyclist, Mar Francis Sudario, came in eighth at 1:13:42.00. Both earned praise for following the coach's game plan that helped Oranza reach the podium.

"Like good soldiers, Efren and Mar did their job and that was to help each other in the race, and for this criterium, it was Ronald who they helped clinch the medal," said Reinhard Gorantes, who strategized for the first road cycling event of the games with his fellow national coaches Virgilio Espiritu and Alfie Catalan.

Twenty riders started for the 55.20-km event raced 30 laps over a 1.8-km rectangular circuit that had the mystical Angkor Wat as a perfect backdrop.

Filipino cyclists previously delivered a silver, courtesy of Ariana Evangelista in the women's mountain bike eliminate, and a bronze in the mixed mountain bike cross-country relay.

The Filipinas, however, succumbed to more seasoned opponents as Maura de los Reyes finished sixth, Mathilda Krog wound up ninth and 2019 Philippine SEA Games time trial champion Jermyn Prado getting caught in 12th place.

Thailand's Jutatip Maneephan won the gold medal with a time of 55:19 after the event raced over the same loop but consisted of 20 loops for a total 38.80 kms.

Vietnam's Thin That Nguyen and Malaysia's Nur Aisyah Zubir were half a bike and a bike length behind the Thai to complete the podium.

Oranza will again ride the men's road race with former SEA Games champion Mark John Lexer Galedo, Marcelo Felipe, Rench Michael Bondoc and Nichol Pareja in the individual road race Friday.

The women's road race closes the cycling competitions on Saturday.

For more stories on the 32nd Southeast Asian Games, click here.