Alessandro "Alex" Zanardi, a decorated Italian race driver and later para-cyclist, has died suddenly at the age of 59, his family said in a statement on Saturday.  "Alex fell asleep peacefully, surrounded by the affection of his loved ones," the statement said. The family didn't go into details on the cause of death, but the double amputee suffered severe cranial injuries in a road accident when riding his handbike in Siena in northern Italy in 2020.  Zanardi won six Paralympic medals and continued to race cars even after losing his legs Image: Mauro Ujetto/NurPhoto/picture alliance Who was Alex Zanardi?  Zanardi was considered one of the brightest prospects of his generation in motorsport, but the stars never aligned for him in Formula 1 . The Jordan, Minardi and Lotus teams he drove for in his first F1 stint were all uncompetitive when he was in the cockpit, and his best career finish was sixth.…