Alex Zanardi, who has died aged 59 , was a 21st century hero. A man who inspired millions through his unquenchable spirit in the face of unbelievable adversity. An icon of two different sports.

The Italian died on Friday, just under six years after suffering serious head injuries in a road accident while racing his handbike, a device with which he became a four-time Paralympic gold medallist and 12-time world champion.

That was a second chapter of sporting achievement, after a previous one in which he had considerable success as a racing driver, competing for several seasons in Formula 1, and becoming a two-time champion in American Indycar racing.

The dividing line between those two parts of his life was a horrific accident at Germany's Lausitzring, in which Zanardi lost both his legs, most of his blood, and was saved from death only by rapid and decisive medical intervention.

Zanardi was a man who experienced so much pain in his life, but whose outlook was always positive, no matter the difficulty he…