(FILES) Former racing driver and paracyclist, Italian Alex Zanardi takes part in the 23rd Marathon of Rome on April 2, 2017. Alex Zanardi, the Italian racing car driver who became a Paralympic cycling champion after losing both legs in an accident, has died aged 59, his family announced on May 2, 2026. Zanardi, one of his country's most loved and respected sportsmen, who as credited with helping transformed the perception of disability in Italy, died on the evening of May 1. (Photo by Andreas SOLARO / AFP via Getty Images)