JOEL Pearson can't remember seven weeks of 2008, four of which he spent in a coma after a car crash in France.
On Saturday the 26-year-old Savings And Loans rider spent six hours, 28 minutes and 25 seconds creating the most unforgettable experience of his sporting career by winning the $17,000 Mitchell Building Supplies Melbourne to Warrnambool Cycling Classic.
Pearson, of Melbourne, outsprinted Daniel Furmston, of Hobart, and 2007 winner Tim Decker, of Bendigo, to claim his biggest race victory and a $2000 winner's cheque.
"This is probably one of my favourite races of all time," he said after two seventh placings from four previous starts in the Classic.
"To win it is right up there."
The Melbourne to Warrnambool triumph rewarded Pearson's decision to return to cycling, three months after the fateful day when a car in March, 2008, in which he travelling crashed off an icy road.
He was riding with a French amateur team before his accident, which left him in intensive care for six weeks.
"I can't remember anything for a week before and six weeks after (the crash)," Pearson said.
"It made me re-evaluate things and come back stronger."
After using a stationary bike to kick start his rehabilitation, the talented sprinter returned to racing.
His build-up to the Melbourne to Warrnambool involved Scody Cup races and the Herald Sun Tour.
If fate dealt Pearson a bad hand in France, it rewarded him with four aces on Saturday by leading him to the first race breakaway after 15km of the 261km journey.
"It just unfolded like that," he explained.
"I didn't try to get in the break at all. I saw a few guys up the road and thought I should get across to them.
"I came here to ride for teammate David Pell."
Like most of the other race favourites - Zak Dempster, Ben King, Kristian House, Darren Lapthorne - Pell paid a heavy price for not being part of the early break.
"We had 20-odd guys so it was not so bad," Pearson said.
"I wasn't feeling great all day but about 40km to go my legs came good. Teammate Will Dickeson just did an awesome lead-out and the rest is history."
The chasing group gave the breakaway riders too much slack, letting them slip out to a 15-minute advantage at Lismore, 150km into the race.
"They've stolen the race," reflected race director John Craven.
"It was almost suicidal what they (peloton) did.
''They woke up at Lismore they were in trouble but it was too late."
Furmston, 25, tipped Pearson as the rider to beat in a sprint, seeking out his wheel in Raglan Parade.
"He was always going to be hard to beat," he said.
"I started my sprint early, about 250 metres from the finish. I got caught by Pearson in the last 50 metres."
Furmston, who spent most of the year in Belgium riding with the Cinelli team, was contesting the Melbourne to Warrnambool for the second time.
Decker, riding his 16th and last classic, was hampered by broken gears but fought on strongly for his fourth podium finish.
The first local rider across the line was David Tozer, of Warrnambool, in 6:44:19.
Craven described race conditions as idyllic.
"It was probably the tamest Melbourne to Warrnambool in history," he said.
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