Bruce William Biddle was the first "KIWI" (the colloquial term for natives of New Zealand, named after the fruit of Chinese origin that found fertile ground on the oceanic island. The "kiwi" takes its name from a bird - similar to a chicken - found only in New Zealand) to practice cycling professionally in Italy.

And here, since then, he has established the foundations of his life, in Tuscany, specifically in Vicarello, a fraction of the municipality of Collesalvetti, north of the Livorno province.

From the antipodes, where he was born on November 2, 1948, in Warkworth, and then moved to the important city of Auckland, to the Livorno province with a very eventful journey touching various parts of the world.

His passion for two wheels was born by frequenting the shop of a bicycle importer, Doue Hills by name, looking at bikes with special attraction for Belgian and French photographic magazines, especially Miroir du Cyclisme which made him dream. And he began racing in youth categories, demonstrating good technical propensity accompanied by corresponding passion for two wheels. He proposed himself to professionalism after building, with consistency and perseverance, an excellent record among amateurs.

He participated, winning gold, in the Commonwealth Games road race in Edinburgh, Scotland, in 1970, after having secured the New Zealand national championship title in 1969. And he stopped in the United Kingdom, making a living with any job, even as a dishwasher, just to be able to race in England and, crossing the English Channel, in Belgium, remembering the stories and images from the magazines that had captured his imagination in Auckland. His life and pedaling companion was Bill Horner in the following years, with back and forth between England and South Africa, often accompanied by his colleague and fellow countryman Bennet White, in different climate and customs conditions, with the Australian rider Tom Malony who pushes them to race in South Africa where they meet Gianni Bizzi, an industrialist in the button manufacturing sector.

Here they have the opportunity to meet the Frenchman Michel Rousseau, a great track cyclist, a powerful Parisian sprinter (1936-2016). The blond Frenchman won the gold medal in speed at the 1956 Melbourne Olympics, beating the Bergamo native Guglielmo Pesenti. Rousseau also won the world title in pure speed in 1957 before turning professional, imposing himself in the world speed championship in his Paris and having a notable career. In South Africa, he worked as a bus driver, nonetheless accomplished and happy, as Bruce Biddle recalls.

Let's recap, in broad strokes, his career with successes in various international competitions and, prominently, 4th place in the individual road race at the 1972 Munich Olympics. He also won the G.P. La Torre in Tuscany, in 1973 he won the classic Piccolo Giro di Lombardia and the Giro delle Valli Aretine.

Meanwhile, Bazel Cowen and Gianni Bizzi had pointed out the young Bruce to two key figures in the bicycle sector such as the Tuscans, but with an operational base in Milan, Cino Cinelli and Faliero Masi. The two friends moved on their own with an extensive network of contacts and relationships in the two-wheel world, in Italy and abroad. And they indicated him to Ivo Faltoni, a cycling enthusiast with a shop in Cortona.

And Bruce Biddle was placed by Faltoni at the Fracor in Levane, a top team from the Arezzo area directed by Ezio Mannucci. His professional debut was with the Magniflex from Prato, guided by the flagship of Bologna's Primo Franchini, in 1974, and he remained there the following year. In 1976 he joined Bonetto-Cuneo, a family-style team, while in 1977 he was with the Sanson jersey, an ambitious team, in 1978 he was with the Gis Gelati of patron Pietro Scibilia, a strong team based in Abruzzo. That year he suffered a serious bicycle accident that caused him numerous fractures.

In 1979 he got back in the saddle with the Mecap-Selle Italia jersey led by Dino Zandegù but the poor results and suffering from riding in a group led him to abandon his career. A dignified career with notable satisfaction, especially in his youth years.

Meanwhile, he married Daniela Chellini in Vicarello, a location with a century-old cycling society, the U.s. Vicarello 1919, where several Tuscan cycling personalities have served, as mentioned - link here - in the beautiful article by a top signature like Marco Pastonesi.

Bureaucratic citizenship issues negatively conditioned the work and entrepreneurial options of Bruce Biddle, who adapted to construction work, then a small bicycle shop and trade in the sector with the city of Auckland. A tough period but overcome with willpower, integrated into the Vicarello community.

Then he found stable employment as a warehouse worker in a large winery that trades various types of wine wholesale, even at an international level, near his home where he worked satisfactorily for about twenty years, until retirement.

From the marriage, Francesco, 42 years old, who lives in Rome with his children Lucrezia and Eduardo, was born, while his daughter, Eleonora, 35 years old, lives in the area and grandfather Bruce is often engaged in caring for his granddaughters Melody, 7 years old, and little Evelyne, 3 years old.

He lives a serene maturity and still frequents the Tuscan racing environment where he boasts many friends met in his youth on pedals, burdensome in some logistical aspects, but rewarding for the passion and opportunity to have brought his bicycle dreams to life.