Zanardi claims Para-cycling world title!

Alex Zanardi successfully defended his world championship crown in the men's hand-cycle time trial at the Para-cycling world championships in South Africa this week.

The former F1 driver and living legend, who lost his legs in a horror IndyCar crash in 2001, took up competition in hand-cycling in 2011, winning gold medals at the London Paralympics the following year.

The living legend and BMW brand Ambassador clinched his ninth world title in his Para-cycling career.

The time trial was the first of three competitions that Zanardi is taking part in at the Pietermaritzburg world championships.

The para-athletes completed three laps on a 7.75 kilometer long circuit, a total distance of 23.3 kilometers.

Zanardi continued where he had finished at the previous world championships held in Switzerland two years ago – with winning ways.