Having completed his first season at the highest level, Argos-Shimano rider Francois Parisien has decided to end his career. At 31 years of age, the Canadian will start working for PowerWatts International which specializes in athletic training.

After several years with smaller teams in the USA and Canada, Francois Parisien got his chance to join the WorldTour with Argos-Shimano prior to the 2013 season. However, his first year at the highest level also became his last one as the 31-year-old Canadian has decided to end his career.

Parisien won his national championships in 2005 and rode for the TIAA-CREF team managed by Jonathan Vaughters for two years. When the team developed into a top level team - later becoming the current Garmin-Sharop squad - Parisien returned to his native Canada to ride for Symmetrics which later became Planet Energy and Spidertech.

When the latter team folded, he was signed by Argos-Shimano and got his WorldTour career off to a great start when he won a sprint stage in the Volta a Catalunya in March. In the final part of the season, he mostly rode as a domestique on the Dutch team which had its most successful season ever.

Parisien recently made headlines when he criticised compatriot Ryder Hesjedal. The 2012 Giro champion admitted past doping offences and Parisien expressed his frustration that Hesjedal had taken spots on the Olympic team in both 2008 and 2012.

"It makes me sick," he said. "I feel a lot of frustration and disgust. These frauds defined a large part of my career since I was young."

Parisien will now work in the area of athletic training as he has been hired by PowerWatts International.

"After 18 years devoted to my cycling career, after winning a World Tour race, after taking part in six world championships, the Commonwealth Games as well as in many races at a high level, I have achieved my goals," he wrote on his Facebook page. "I am proud of what I’ve accomplished and I know that I did it in a noble manner. Today, I need to go to new challenges."

Mid-way through the season, Parisien returned to Europe for the second half of the season and this was when he started to contemplate retirement.

"This was only only two weeks from the Grand Prix Cycliste de Québec and Montréal that informed my choice," he wrote. "On the other hand, it was important for me to finish the remainder of the season before making a final decision and make the public announcement."

It was already known that Parisien wouldn't ride for Argos-Shimano in 2014.