March 23, 2013 (Lleid, Spain) – Canada’s Francois Parisien (Can) Team Argos-Shimano pulled off the biggest win of his career taking the finishing sprint at the 156.5km Stage 5 of the Volta Ciclista a Catalunya WorldTour. The only other Canadian men with a WorldTour win on their resumes are Ryder Hesjedal (2012 Giro Stage 7; 2012 Giro Overall; 2011 TdF Stage 16; 2009 Vuelta Stage 12), Svein Tuft (2102 Eneco Tour), and the legendary Steve Bauer (1985 TdF Stage 3 TTT [La Vie Claire]; 1987 Criterium International Stage 1; 1988 Tour de Suisse Stage 8; 1988 Dauphiné Libéré Stage 1B; 1988 TdF Stage 1 [followed by 5 days in yellow]; 1989 Championship of Zurich; 1989 Dauphiné Libéré Prologue… so he’s in Elite company for sure.
The former Canadian road champ in 2005 most recently wore a SpiderTech p/b C10 kit when he scored the overall win at the Tour of Elk Grove last year and was the top-ranked Canadian in 10th at the WorldTour GPC Quebec City in 2012. Also on his palmares is the Quebec TT championships (won several times) and a 6th-place finish at the 2010 Tour de Beauce – see a more complete list below. We caught up with Parisien in Spain following stage 6 at the Volta Ciclista a Catalunya…
Francois Parisien Palmares
2001
– 1st at the Quebec TT Championships
– 2nd at the Canadian U23 TT Championships
2002
– 1st at the Critérium de Lanver (France)
– 1st at the Grand Prix de Charlevoix
2003
– 1st at the Quebec TTT Championships
2004
– 2nd at the Canadian U23 Road Championships
– 4th at the Canadian U23 TT Championships
2005
– 1st at the Canadian Road Championships
2006
– 4th at the Grand Prix de Lillers (France)
2007
– 5th at the Canadian Road Championships
2008
– 1st at the Green Mountain Stage Race
– 1st at the Grand Prix de Saint-Raymond
– 1st at the Grand-Prix de Sainte-Marie (Beauce)
2009
– 1st at the Quebec TT Championships
– 2nd at la Vuelta a Cuba
– 3rd at the Tour of the Battenkill
2010
– 4th at the Canadian TT Championships
– 4th at the Joe Martin Stage race
– 6th at the Tour de Beauce
2011
– 8th at the Canadian Road Championships
2012
– 1st at the Tour of Elk Grove
– 10th at the WorldTour GP of Quebec
– 25th at the WorldTour GP of Montreal