November 26, 2013 – Pedal caught up with competitive road cyclist Francois Parisien, 31, who resides in Quebec’s Eastern Townships. Parisien competed at a high level for 18 years and spoke about his reasons for choosing to retire and wrap up his pro cycling career.

In this candid interview he talks about how he moved from soccer to cycling, the ups and downs in his career including his depression and recovery, his thoughts on doping in cycling and the future of the sport.

Parisien’s top achievements include taking home the Elite men’s Canadian Road Championships title in 2005, winning the overall at the Tour of Elk Grove in 2012, and in March 2013 he became one of few Canadians ever to win a WorldTour race when he sprinted to victory in Stage 5 of the Volta a Catalunya. Read his retirement announcement here and our interview with Parisien following his WorldTour victory here.