François Parisien joins RDS broadcast team
On Feb. 27, RDS tweeted that François Parisien is joining their broadcast team to cover UCI races in 2014. Parisien, a former member of WorldTour team Argos-Shimano, now known as Giant-Shimano, will cover 47 races for RDS. Parisien who recently retired from his eight-year career as a professional cyclist will bring a wealth of front-line experience and knowledge to the broadcast team.
The 2005 Canadian elite men’s national champion raced for some of the world’s top teams, including Slipstream, the same team that is now known as Garmin-Sharp. Parisien is undoubtedly a member of a distinguished era of Canadian cycling. He was a leader of the now defunct Spidertech team, which more or less paved the way for a new generation of Canadians to race at the sport’s highest level.
Despite his accomplished eight years as a professional, they only allude to his extensive cycling experience. Parisien raced for a total of 18 years. For seven of those years, he lived in Europe as an amateur and professional.
At the Toronto Bike Show this past weekend, Parisien was excited about his new role in the sport. “I always wanted to go into communication. Actually, before cycling, I applied to the University of Montreal’s communication program,” said Parisien. “I was told to choose between cycling and education. I think I made the right choice.”
The key races that Parisien will cover include the Giro d’Italia, Tour de Suisse, the world championships and the Giro di Lombardia. In addition to his role as a correspondent, Parisien will continue his endeavors as a marketing and communications strategist at PowerWatts and brand ambassador of Opus Bicycles.
#RDS souhaite la bienvenue à François Parisien, ancien cycliste professionnel, qui se joint à l’équipe de diffusion des courses de l’UCI.
— RDS RP (@RDS_RP) February 27, 2014
