Giro d’Italia pays tribute to Alex Zanardi, a champion of sport and of life

The devastating news arrived this morning: Alex Zanardi – driver, paracycling athlete, and one of the most beloved sports figures in the world – has passed away. Two serious accidents, the most recent occurring six years ago during a handbike outing, marked the life of a man who never gave up, who became one of the most iconic Paralympic athletes in Italy and worldwide.

From Formula 1 to Paralympic Cycling

Paracycling defined the second life of Alex Zanardi. On 15 September, 2001, the Italian driver – who had made numerous appearances in Formula One – was involved in a catastrophic crash during a CART race at the Lausitzring circuit in Germany, which led to the amputation of both his legs. After 16 surgeries, the loss of 4 liters of blood, and seven cardiac arrests, Zanardi survived against all odds. That moment symbolically marked the end of his “first life” as a driver, captured in one of his most powerful reflections: “When I woke up without legs, I looked at what was left, not at what had been lost”.

Handcycling as a Rebirth

From that moment on, Alex Zanardi chose the handbike not just as a sport, but as a way to prove that it’s possible for anyone to start over, turning tragedy into an opportunity to inspire millions around the world. His introduction to handcycling came almost by chance, through a meeting with Vittorio Podestà: the two were initially competing for a parking space. After striking up a conversation, Zanardi became fascinated by the handbike Podestà had strapped to the roof of his car.

“When this passion for handcycling was born, I had to make a choice. People said to me «What? You’re leaving that golden world to go and do that?». But I was already happy, because I was doing something that, for me, was simply awesome,” the former driver would later recall.

A Legend of Sport and Paracycling

From that moment on, Alex Zanardi became a true legend of sport and a source of inspiration for all, thanks in part to his words – never trivial, always deeply motivating. His paracycling career brought him four gold medals at the Paralympic Games – two at London 2012 Paralympics (time trial and road race) and two at Rio 2016 Paralympics (time trial and relay) – along with two silver medals across the same editions, and an extraordinary tally of twelve world titles. It was during these years that he developed the “5-Second Rule,” a philosophy of life and sport that urges one final effort when all energy seems spent: according to Zanardi, holding on for just five more seconds, when everything feels lost, can make the difference between victory and defeat – on the road as in life.

In 2020, a second devastating accident once again changed his life: in June, just after the first COVID lockdown, Zanardi was involved in a serious road crash during a relay organized by “Obiettivo3”, the association he founded to help people approach Paralympic sport.

Il Giro d’Italia pays tribute to Alex Zanardi

The Giro d’Italia thus pays tribute to Alex Zanardi, a champion who wrote unforgettable chapters in the history of sport and always showed a deep connection to the Corsa Rosa. In past interviews, Zanardi recalled how the Giro gave him the chance to visit Naples for the first time, during the 2013 Grande Partenza of the race. We say goodbye to a man who inspired entire generations to push beyond their limits.