Canadian national coach Eric Van Den Eynde has accepted a position with the Québec cycling federation, the Fédération Québécoise Des Sports Cyclistes (FQSC). Effective at the end of the month, Van Den Eynde leaves the Canadian Cycling Association (CCA) to head up FQSC's road and track programs. The move represents a return to his roots; he started his coaching career with FQSC from 1984 to 1996.
Van Den Eynde said, "It was a tough decision and the most difficult thing for me will be not to being able to coach Canadian athletes from outside of Québec, but it was the right decision to take according to my deepest convictions."
"Eric's decision is a disappointment because he won't be directly involved in continuing the tremendous progress the national track team has made in the last two years," said CCA High Performance Director Kris Westwood. "That said, I believe Eric will in the long term have an even greater influence on our international success in his new role with Québec, because he will be focusing on developing young riders, an area where strong leadership is crucial. I am also happy that Eric has said he is still keen to be involved with the national programs on specific future projects."
The CCA publicly commended Eric Van Den Eynde's exceptional involvement and contribution to developing elite Canadian athletes over the past twenty years.
