Zanardi injured in handbike crash

Alex Zanardi, the Italian race car champion who transitioned into a gold medallist Paralympian after losing both of his legs, was seriously injured in a handbike race Friday. Zanardi was transported by helicopter to Santa Maria alle Scotte hospital in Siena following a crash near the Tuscan town of Pienza. A medical bulletin from the hospital said Zanardi underwent “a delicate neurosurgery operation” due to “severe cranial trauma.” The surgery lasted about three hours. “His condition remains very serious,” the hospital said.