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."