Frank Bizzoni

Francesco Bizzoni was born in the Northern Italian town of Lodi but left around 1898 to work as a waiter in the English town of Bournemouth. After five years in England he sailed to New York in November 1903 and stayed in America until his death in 1926.

Bizzoni, by then also using the name “Frank”, was working as a chauffeur and waiter for a New York Club when he enlisted in the US Army for service in World War One. It is from his Army records that we learn that he was still an Italian citizen as late as 1917. Little is yet known of his cycling career in Italy, England or the USA but, after his death, the Francesco Bizzoni Memorial Race was held in New York City for a number of years.

Although Bizzoni may be considered a US competitor in 1904, there is little to justify that. He was still an Italian citizen and, in the 1904 Olympic cycling events, no clubs are listed for the racers. He was listed only as entered from New Jersey.