Comeback kid Saul Raisin has the green light to return to competition.
Raisin received medical clearance this week after undergoing a battery of tests at a hospital in Bordeaux to resume racing some 15 months after he nearly died in a crash at the Circuit de la Sarthe in April, 2007.
His comeback race will be the U.S. national time trial championships in September.
“I have clearance to race the time trial championships, and depending on how that goes, I might be able to race the road race, too,” Raisin told VeloNews ahead of the start of Thursday’s 11th stage at the Tour de France.
Raisin received the VIP treatment from his Crédit Agricole teammates during his visit to the Tour. He dined with the team Wednesday night and traveled on the team bus to the start in Marseille.
“I will return to France in October for another series of neurological tests. If I clear that, I should be able to resume racing full-time in 2008,” Raisin continued. “I just did some tests with the team. I did some Vo2-max and some strength tests. Physically, I’m a rock star.”
Raisin’s looming return is nothing short of a miracle. Raisin fell into a coma and suffered partial paralysis after a cerebral hematoma burst in his brain as a result of his nasty head-first spill in the Sarthe race.
After undergoing emergency brain surgery, doctors said Raisin might not ever return to full mobility. The plucky Georgia native defied the odds and, after a lengthy rehabilitation process, is poised to make one of cycling’s greatest comeback.
“Next time I come back to the Tour, I want to be racing,” he said. “I never want to come back to the Tour watching again.”
http://www.velonews.com/news/fea/12831.0.html
This is such fabulous news!
clm
Hot damn! That is so cool. Go Saul! Whenever I get mopey about anything in my life, I just think of guys like him.
Sounds like great news. I know nothing of the young man other than what I saw on the interview. But he didn’t really look like he was ready to be on a bike to me. Has he really improved that vastly?
He rode all (most?) of the stages of the Tour of California before the race came through and looked good there.
clm
All of Litesppeed,Merlin and QROO are delighted to have the local boy back, great news for Saul.
That’s good to hear. What’s your feelings on his ability to get back to original form. I realize where he is at now is a HUGE accomplishment. And I am in no way belittleing his efforts. But I’m curious and wondering if the media is blowing it out of proportion or if he really has a decent shot at getting back to the big show?