Saul Raisin
Encyclopedia
Saul Raisin is an American
former professional road bicycle racer with UCI ProTeam Crédit Agricole
.
at 13, and moved to road bikes
when he was 17.
Raisin had a good start to his professional career with Crédit Agricole in 2005, coming 37th in the Tour de Suisse
, later having the best result of his career with a 13th place in the Int. Österreich-Rundfahrt (or Tour of Austria). He then went on to win the King of the Mountains jersey in the Tour de l'Avenir
.
In early 2006 Raisin won the third stage of the Le Tour de Langkawi
and ended the Malaysian Tour placed eleventh overall. In 2003 Saul won Best Young Rider at the Tour de Georgia
. At the 2006 Tour of California Raisin came 17th overall. He raced the Milan – San Remo in March and on April 4 was racing in the first stage of the Circuit de la Sarthe
. Two kilometres from the finish Raisin clipped a wheel, crashed and landed on his head, breaking his clavicle
and hip.
, France, doctors took hourly CAT scans which showed that a intracranial hemorrhage
had formed in Raisin's brain. A neurosurgeon operated to relieve the pressure
and had to remove part of Raisin's right temporal lobe, though Raisin's autobiography contradicts this. Raisin went into a coma
, emerging six days later. The hemorrhage and surgery caused significant weakness on his left side and marked memory loss
. When he was stabilized he was flown from France to the Shepherd Center in Atlanta, Georgia
. He stayed in the hospital for four weeks, going through extensive therapy - including re-learning to walk and eat. Afterwards he continued his therapy at the Shepherd Center outpatient program, Pathways.
Saul was not permitted to race for at least 18 months after his accident because "another blow to the head could be disastrous." In August 2006, Raisin moved from indoor training on bicycle rollers
to riding outside, and in late November, Raisin completed an 8 hour, 200 kilometre ride from Chatsworth, Georgia
to Brasstown Bald
, crossing 8 mountain passes. In January 2007, Raisin attended the Crédit Agricole team training camp in the South of France.
In November 2007, the Crédit Agricole team doctors stated that they could not release Saul to race. His neurological and psychiatric tests were fine, but the risk to him should he crash again is too great.
Raisin's accident and initial recovery are chronicled the book Tour de Life: from Coma to Competition (ISBN 0974849227) which he authored with Dave Shields.
Event Info:
2007,
2008,
2009
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
former professional road bicycle racer with UCI ProTeam Crédit Agricole
Crédit Agricole (cycling team)
Crédit Agricole was a French professional cycling team managed by Roger Legeay and sponsored by the French bank, Crédit Agricole, since 1997. Before 1997 the team was known as GAN. Since 2005, the team is one of the 20 that compete in the UCI ProTour. Crédit Agricole announced that they would...
.
Career
Raisin began racing mountain bikesMountain bike racing
The Union Cycliste Internationale recognised the sport of mountain bike racing relatively late in 1990, when it sanctioned the world championships in Purgatory, Colorado. The first mountain biking world cup series took place in 1991. Its nine-race circuit covered two continents—Europe and North...
at 13, and moved to road bikes
Road bicycle racing
Road bicycle racing is a bicycle racing sport held on roads, using racing bicycles. The term "road racing" is usually applied to events where competing riders start simultaneously with the winner being the first to the line at the end of the course .Historically, the most...
when he was 17.
Raisin had a good start to his professional career with Crédit Agricole in 2005, coming 37th in the Tour de Suisse
Tour de Suisse
The Tour de Suisse is a UCI World Tour stage race held annually in June. The race debuted in 1933 and has evolved in timing, duration and sponsorship. With the Critérium du Dauphiné, it is a proving ground for the Tour de France, and part of the UCI World Ranking calendar...
, later having the best result of his career with a 13th place in the Int. Österreich-Rundfahrt (or Tour of Austria). He then went on to win the King of the Mountains jersey in the Tour de l'Avenir
Tour de l'Avenir
Tour de l'Avenir is a French road bicycle racing stage race, which started in 1961 as a race similar to the Tour de France and over much of the same course but for amateurs and for semi-professionals known as independents. Riders competed in national teams...
.
In early 2006 Raisin won the third stage of the Le Tour de Langkawi
Le Tour de Langkawi
The Tour de Langkawi is an annual cycling race which is held in Malaysia since 1996. The name of the event comes from the starting point of the first few editions, in Langkawi, Kedah, although some later editions did not include Langkawi in the race at all...
and ended the Malaysian Tour placed eleventh overall. In 2003 Saul won Best Young Rider at the Tour de Georgia
Tour de Georgia
The Tour de Georgia is a U.S. professional cycling stage race across the state of Georgia. The race began in 2003 and has been contested six times. It is one of the three events in North America ranked as Hors Classe stage race events by the UCI, which is cycling's international governing body,...
. At the 2006 Tour of California Raisin came 17th overall. He raced the Milan – San Remo in March and on April 4 was racing in the first stage of the Circuit de la Sarthe
Circuit de la Sarthe (cycling)
The Circuit de la Sarthe-Pays de la Loire is an early-season short road bicycle racing stage race held annually in Sarthe, Pays de la Loire, France. Since 2005, it has been organised as a 2.1 event on the UCI Europe Tour....
. Two kilometres from the finish Raisin clipped a wheel, crashed and landed on his head, breaking his clavicle
Clavicle
In human anatomy, the clavicle or collar bone is a long bone of short length that serves as a strut between the scapula and the sternum. It is the only long bone in body that lies horizontally...
and hip.
2006 crash aftermath
At the hospital in AngersAngers
Angers is the main city in the Maine-et-Loire department in western France about south-west of Paris. Angers is located in the French region known by its pre-revolutionary, provincial name, Anjou, and its inhabitants are called Angevins....
, France, doctors took hourly CAT scans which showed that a intracranial hemorrhage
Intracranial hemorrhage
An intracranial hemorrhage is a hemorrhage, or bleeding, within the skull.-Causes:Intracranial bleeding occurs when a blood vessel within the skull is ruptured or leaks. It can result from physical trauma or nontraumatic causes such as a ruptured aneurysm...
had formed in Raisin's brain. A neurosurgeon operated to relieve the pressure
Intracranial pressure
Intracranial pressure is the pressure inside the skull and thus in the brain tissue and cerebrospinal fluid . The body has various mechanisms by which it keeps the ICP stable, with CSF pressures varying by about 1 mmHg in normal adults through shifts in production and absorption of CSF...
and had to remove part of Raisin's right temporal lobe, though Raisin's autobiography contradicts this. Raisin went into a coma
Coma
In medicine, a coma is a state of unconsciousness, lasting more than 6 hours in which a person cannot be awakened, fails to respond normally to painful stimuli, light or sound, lacks a normal sleep-wake cycle and does not initiate voluntary actions. A person in a state of coma is described as...
, emerging six days later. The hemorrhage and surgery caused significant weakness on his left side and marked memory loss
Memory loss
Memory loss can be partial or total and it is normal when it comes with aging. Sudden memory loss is usually a result of brain trauma and it may be permanent or temporary. When it is caused by medical conditions such as Alzheimers, the memory loss is gradual and tends to be permanent.Brain trauma...
. When he was stabilized he was flown from France to the Shepherd Center in Atlanta, Georgia
Atlanta, Georgia
Atlanta is the capital and most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia. According to the 2010 census, Atlanta's population is 420,003. Atlanta is the cultural and economic center of the Atlanta metropolitan area, which is home to 5,268,860 people and is the ninth largest metropolitan area in...
. He stayed in the hospital for four weeks, going through extensive therapy - including re-learning to walk and eat. Afterwards he continued his therapy at the Shepherd Center outpatient program, Pathways.
Saul was not permitted to race for at least 18 months after his accident because "another blow to the head could be disastrous." In August 2006, Raisin moved from indoor training on bicycle rollers
Bicycle rollers
Bicycle rollers are a type of bicycle trainer that make it possible to ride a bicycle indoors without moving forward. However, unlike other types of bicycle trainers, rollers do not attach to the bicycle frame, and the rider must balance him or herself on the rollers while training...
to riding outside, and in late November, Raisin completed an 8 hour, 200 kilometre ride from Chatsworth, Georgia
Chatsworth, Georgia
Chatsworth is a city in Murray County, Georgia, United States. It is part of the Dalton, Georgia Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 3,531 at the 2000 census, but was estimated around 3,890 as of the 2005 census. The city is the county seat of Murray County...
to Brasstown Bald
Brasstown Bald
Brasstown Bald is the highest natural point in the state of Georgia, USA, with a summit elevation of 4,784 feet above mean sea level....
, crossing 8 mountain passes. In January 2007, Raisin attended the Crédit Agricole team training camp in the South of France.
In November 2007, the Crédit Agricole team doctors stated that they could not release Saul to race. His neurological and psychiatric tests were fine, but the risk to him should he crash again is too great.
Raisin's accident and initial recovery are chronicled the book Tour de Life: from Coma to Competition (ISBN 0974849227) which he authored with Dave Shields.
Raisin Hope ride
During the 2007 Tour of California, Saul rode each stage before the main race as a promotion of his Raisin Hope Ride, a charity ride that raises money for The Shepherd Center, Camp Twin Lakes, The Brain Injury Association of Georgia and the USA Cycling Development Foundation. The first Raisin Hope Ride was held on March 31, 2007. It is Saul's intention that the ride be run annually.Event Info:
2007,
2008,
2009
Palmares
- Tour de Langkawi - 1 stage (2006)
- Tour de l'AvenirTour de l'AvenirTour de l'Avenir is a French road bicycle racing stage race, which started in 1961 as a race similar to the Tour de France and over much of the same course but for amateurs and for semi-professionals known as independents. Riders competed in national teams...
- Mountains Classification (2005)