May 20/08 1:29 am - Parisien Will Leave Symmetrics

Posted by Editor on 05/20/08
 

Parisien Will Leave Symmetrics

François Parisien has just confirmed that he will be leaving the Symmetrics cycling team, effective June 1st. We reported yesterday that Frank was considering leaving Symmetrics, since he likely would not be selected for Philly Week, and that would negatively impact his goal of making the Olympic squad.

"Last night I got a phone call from [team owner] Kevin Cunningham and we had a long talk. I was told for sure that I would not do Philly Week, and that I would also not be racing Tour de Beauce."

"I think it is mainly that the team and me have different goals. He wants to win Beauce, and the whole team is to be dedicated for Svein, and that it would be hard for them to tell me to sit on if I was in a GC break."

"We do have different goals this year; for me I want to try and make the Olympic team, and that is different from what the team needs from me. It was a very friendly talk, and there are no hard feelings on either side. I totally understand the way he is looking at it, even if I don't necessarily agree."

"So we agreed that they don't want to hold me back and I will stop riding for Symmetrics on the first of June. If an opportunity [with another team] comes up before that, then it will be no problem to leave earlier. There are no penalties, everything is fine."

"Symmetrics is a good team, and I respect everyone on the team - they are good riders, strong riders, and I like what they are accomplishing. It's not fun to be leaving a team like that, we just have different goals - I would have totally followed the team [program] if it was not an Olympic year. But I need to race more for myself and not the team this year. Kevin said that the possibility is still open for me to be with the team next year."

Parisien is now in the midst of evaluating other opportunities, which will hopefully see him racing both Philly Week and Beauce.

"Right now I am doing my research, I am working with Brian Walton and the Cadence group, that also work with Dom Rollin. We are talking with five different teams, so for now it is just a matter of taking in as much information as possible. Next week I will make my decision."