Thousands at funeral for Italian auto champ and Paralympic gold medalist Alex Zanardi

PADUA, Italy (AP) — Thousands of fans have attended the funeral for Alex Zanardi, the Italian auto racing champion-turned-Paralympic gold medalist who died last week at 59.

Zanardi’s handbike was placed near the altar inside the basilica in Padua where the service was held on Tuesday, and his hand cycling teammates sat in the front row near his wife, Daniela, and son, Niccolò.

Also in attendance were Stefano Domenicali, the president and CEO of Formula One, skier Alberto Tomba, Paralympian Bebe Vio and a host of politicians and other officials.

In 2020, Zanardi was seriously injured in a handbike accident after crashing into an oncoming truck during a relay event in Tuscany. Zanardi suffered serious facial and cranial trauma in the crash and was put in a medically induced coma.

Nearly 20 years earlier, Zanardi lost both of his legs in an auto racing crash.

One fan inside the church held up a sign that said, “Farewell Alex, your legend will never die.”

Zanardi won two championships in CART — 1997 and 1998 — in the United States, and also competed in F1.

He won four gold medals and two silvers at the 2012 and 2016 Paralympics, competed in the New York City Marathon and set an Ironman record.

Zanardi died on Friday.

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