Raisin's recovery took a big step forward this spring when he rode ahead of the peloton at the Tour of California. His subsequent Raisin Hope charity ride helped raise more than $30,000 for a variety of charities. On his way home to Georgia, he met Aleeza Zabriskie in the airport. Aleeza is the younger sister of Salt Lake's David Zabriskie — among the best cyclists in the world.

The two hit it off immediately and soon Raisin decided to move to Salt Lake and train in the canyons of the Beehive State for his return to the pro cycling peloton.

"I love it here," he said. "I really think this is a cyclist's dream with all the canyons and mountains. You have bike lanes all over the place. It's a perfect place to train for my comeback."

He has spent hours training with and being evaluated by doctors and cycling experts like Massimo Testa and Eric Heidin at TOSH. He's been evaluated by top national cycling coaches as well as brain injury experts to make sure he has the mental skills needed to keep up with the demanding physical expectations he'll have in pelotons of tightly packed cyclists going more than 50 miles per hour down a mountain or around a corner.

One hard hit to the head could, understandably, kill him.

Raisin is going back to racing against his family's desires.

"I get worried every time he gets on a bike," Jim Raisin, his father and frequent cycling companion, said during a ride up Emigration Canyon on Friday. "But, he's been doing dangerous things that kind of scared us all his life. So I guess this isn't anything different."

In fact, for Saul, riding his bike competitively again is something he feels compelled to do.

"I feel God has given me a second chance for a reason," he said. "Even if I never win again, I want to help other people to show them that a brain injury is not the end. Life is not over."

It's not uncommon to see Raisin wearing his Credit Agricole racing uniform as he speeds along a road. He's found many training friends in the area including pro Burke Swindlehurst, junior cyclists T.J. Eisenhart and Connor O'Leary and others.

One person Raisin has not been on a training ride with, however, is his future brother in law. Though he competed directly against Dave Zabriskie numerous times in Europe before the accident, distance and schedules have kept the two future family members apart since Raisin and Aleeza became engaged on April 5 — exactly one year and one day after the accident that nearly killed him.

"I think it will be great to go riding with him and learn from him," Raisin said. "He's probably the best time trial racer in the world. So there's a lot I can learn from him."