(FILES) Former driver and paracyclist Alex Zanardi celebrates as he crosses the fininsh line of the 20th Marathon of Rome on March 23, 2014. 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 Tiziana FABI / AFP via Getty Images)