He was the 2005–2006 UCI Europe Tour series and the 2006 Belgian National Cycling Championship Road Race champion, and currently works for the An Post–Chain Reaction Team as a coach.

He immediately started winning minor Belgian races like the Championship of Flanders and the Omloop Mandel-Leie-Schelde.

Eeckhout had a breakthrough season when he transferred to Lotto-Adecco in 2001, winning 11 races, including Dwars door Vlaanderen and the GP van Steenbergen.

In June 2006 he won the biggest race in his career, the Belgian National Road Championship in Antwerp by beating Tom Boonen and Philippe Gilbert.

In the peloton he earned the nickname "Rambo" for being particularly tough during hard races in severe conditions.