Twenty one years after competing at the motor-racing circuit as an F3000 driver, the Italian - who also raced in Formula One - returned to Brands Hatch to light up the Games, striking double gold in the hand-cycling events.

Zanardi, who was injured in the American Memorial 500 Cart event in Germany in September 2001 when a 200mph accident saw him lose both his legs, won the men's Individual H4 Time Trial before striking a double in the men's Individual H4 Road Race.

A silver with his Italian team-mates in the Mixed H1-4 Team Relay capped a superb four days, and Zanardi admits he will cherish the memories.

He said: 'It's at the top of the scale with many other great moments I've been lucky enough to live.

'I'm really, really happy for the result and I knew that this moment was going to bring a little bit of sadness as well.

'This is almost the last day of a great adventure and from Monday I will have to find something different, otherwise life will become a little boring.

It is perfectly fine for me to go back to normal life. If along the way there will be a chance to light some more firecrackers, I won't hold myself back. 

Alex Zanardi

'It is perfectly fine for me to go back to normal life, take my son to school, things like that. But if along the way there will be a chance to light some more firecrackers, I won't hold myself back. It would be a shame to miss opportunities.'

Zanardi's success highlighted a great Games for Italy, who took a total of 10 medals in all, with Ivano Pizzi and Roberto Bargna winning their other titles in the men's Individual B Road Race and the men's Individual C1-3 Road Race respectively.

The USA beat Germany to top the overall Road Cycling medal standings. While both countries had a total of 12 medals, the USA managed five golds to Germany's four, largely thanks to the queen of the road, Marianna Davis, who was unbeaten and took three titles away from Brands Hatch.

Great Britain, while topping the overall Paralympic Cycling standings, came fourth on the road with three gold and a total of seven medals - Sarah Storey being chief among their stars as she further cemented her reputation as the pre-eminent female Paralympic cyclist with a third and fourth gold of the Games in the Individual C5 Time Trial and the C4-5 Road Race.

There was an even more impressive landmark for the Czech Republic's Jiri Jezek, who confirmed his place as the most decorated Paralympic cyclist of all time with victory in the men's Individual C4 Time Trial.

'I don't feel like I'm the best,' he said. 'We had a lot of great riders in the last 12 years so I'm just happy to be among them.'