BMW Team Italy-Spain ace Alex Zanardi has revealed his ambition to compete in the Paralympic Games in London 2012 as part of Italy's cycling team.

Zanardi lost both of his legs in a horrific CART accident at the Lausitzring in Germany back in 2001, but with prosthetic limbs and specially-adapted controls, the former Formula 1 star was able to return to action just two years later. Since then he has raced for BMW in the European and subsequently FIA World Touring Car Championship (WTCC), triumphing on three occasions during the last four seasons.

Aside from that, the Bologna native has taken up hand-cycling, making his debut in the New York City Marathon two years ago – finishing a highly competitive fourth – and coming in 14th in the Para-Cycling Road World Championship in Bogogno in his home country last week, just under five minutes behind the winner, Beijing Paralympics gold-medallist Oz Sanchez.

“My honest objective is to be at the level of the best Italian bikers,” the 42-year-old is quoted as having said by The Associated Press, “waiting for a dream that could come true in London in 2012.”