Today, May 5, 2026, Padua stopped to say goodbye to Alex Zanardi. Over 2.000 people filled the Basilica of Santa Giustina from early in the morning, while outside, in the Prato della Valle, a large screen allowed those unable to get in to follow the ceremony. Next to the coffin was his handbike—the object that more than any other tells the story of Alex Zanardi.
A life on the edge, always
Born in Bologna on October 23, 1966, the son of a plumber and a seamstress, Alex developed a passion for motorsports as a child. He rose through the ranks in the lower formulas, then Formula 1 with Jordan and Lotus, then the United States with Formula CART—where his best seasons came, with two consecutive world titles in 1997 and 1998.
Then, on September 15, 2001, everything changed. A terrible car accident cost him his legs the amputation. For anyone else, it would have been the end. For Zanardi, it was just a new beginning.
The rebirth that inspired a country
What Zanardi achieved after 2001 transcended sport. With prosthetics and then handcycling, he began competing again—and winning. At the London 2012 and Rio 2016 Paralympic Games, he won four gold medals and two silver medals, as well as twelve world road racing titles.
The image of him crossing the finish line, raising his arms to the sky, with that unforgettable smile, has become one of the most powerful symbols of Italian sport. Not of resilience—an overused word—but of joy. Of a person who loved life to the fullest.
In 2020, a second handbike accident during a charity race on the streets of Siena left him in a coma. He never recovered, spending his final years in a nursing home in Padua.
The voices of those who loved him
All of Italy stopped to greet him. Gianni Morandi, who was also present in church today, wrote on social media: "Hi Alex. You turned courage into a smile. Today all that remains is an immense thank you."
Bebe Vio shared a series of photos with him on Instagram, writing: "We became colleagues in 2009. I was 12 and very lost and scared. You gave me the strength to start over, convincing me that with or without legs, I could do anything."
From the world of sport, a minute's silence was observed at Serie A stadiums before the Italian league matches. Luciano Spalletti also opened the press conference on the eve of Juventus-Verona with a personal remembrance: "I wanted to pay tribute to a man with unique values in life and sport. Such a mindset and mentality, such resilience and willingness to fight: it's incredible."
Formula 1 also remembered him: before the Miami Sprint Race, all the teams stood on the grid for a minute's silence. And Kimi Antonelli, after taking pole position, dedicated the result to Alex.
And then there's the most intimate voice of all. Mother Anna, 88, from Castel Maggiore, said: "This morning I was listening to the reports about him on television. I took out my husband's photo and told him, 'What a son we've made, the two of us.'
Alex Zanardi wasn't just a champion. He was living proof that you can choose how you respond to what life throws at you. And he chose, every time, to respond with a smile.
Hi Alex.
