Bruce Biddle

New Zealand cyclist Bruce Biddle began his career by winning the national road race title in 1969. The following year Biddle went to the British Commonwealth Games in Edinburgh, where he became the first cyclist from New Zealand to win gold in the road race. He then spent the next year racing in the UK and Ireland, winning stages at the Tour of Ireland in 1970, followed by multiple top-10 finishes in races across England.

In 1972 Biddle was selected to compete in the road race at the München Olympics, where he finished fourth. The Spanish cyclist Jaime Huélamo initially finished third, but was later disqualified after a positive doping test. Because Biddle was not tested for drugs, he was not upgraded to third, and no bronze medal was awarded. After the Olympics he remained in Europe for several years, winning the 1973 edition of the Piccolo Giro di Lombardia in Italy. Biddle’s cycling career ended in 1979 after both his legs were broken after being run over by a lorry.