Decathlon sign Olympic gold medalist biathlete Émillien Jacquelin to its development ranks - "A dream I've had for quite a few years..."
Cycling
"My dream since I was little has been to be a professional cyclist". French biathlete Émillien Jacquelin has become one of the very best in his sport, and at age 30 he is making the switch to pro cycling. The Olympic gold medalist has signed a contract with Decathlon CMA CGM Team's development team and has become a racer for the French tam.
“Émilien has always maintained close ties with the team, whether with the riders the coaching staff," team manager Jean-Baptiste Quiclet said in a press release. "Cycling is already a key component of his training for biathlon. In this post-Olympic year, the idea is to give him the opportunity to try his hand at cycling with the team’s support, so that he can develop his skills".
Jacquelin is a five-time World Championships winner in biathlon, two of those occasions in individual events. In the recent Milano-Cortina Winter Olympics he took his first Olympic gold medal in the 4 x 7.5 Team Relay event, whilst he himself was bronze at the individual 12.5Km pursuit. He is one of the best in the sport and, like Florian Lipowitz of Red Bull - BORA - hansgrohe in the past, is making the transition to cycling.
"This support will focus primarily on training, including guidance from a coach and a nutritionist, the provision of equipment, as well as a high-altitude training camp Arc 1950 with NewGen. We plan to conduct an evaluation cycle in late spring to better assess his profile: his explosive power in biathlon could very well make him an excellent sprinter on the road. We are banking on strong athletic potential and a high VO2 max, which, having already proven itself on skis, should come into its own on the bike.”
Jacquelin is not the first pro cyclist to make such a steep change in his path, however at age 30 it certainly is an unusual one. He is following along a similar route to that of former MotoGP rider Aleix Espargaró who raced for Lidl-Trek in 2025.
"It's a bit of a crazy project. It's an idea, a dream I've had for quite a few years, and biathlon fans have known about it for a long time [...] It's a chance to challenge myself, to prove to myself in another sport that I'm capable of performing, and it's also about trying to fulfill one of my childhood dreams," Jacquelin said in an interview with RMC Sport.
He isn't dropping biathlon as a whole, but instead testing his potential as a professional cyclist, albeit with the team's development project, where he will mostly be racing with under-23 riders. "It was after the Milan-Cortina Olympics that we felt it was the best time to try this challenge together". Soon enough, the deal was put on paper.
"I think it's primarily a new challenge. I don't think my story with biathlon is over. The 2030 Games, as I've said before and still believe, are a goal. It's about trying to become an Olympic champion in France in front of the French public. But I also know that in certain aspects I've reached my limits in biathlon, and this challenge excites me. It motivates me to push myself every day, and I think I need that now in my athletic career and as a person".
A classics rider in development?
As a biathlete, weight is not the most relevant aspect, and so he comes into cycling as a heavyweight, much of it in muscle mass however. "I'm 1.86m tall and weigh 80kg today, 79kg at the end of the season [...] I haven't necessarily discussed it with the nutritionist or the team yet, but I think losing a good five kilos wouldn't hurt".
However he is aware that the change will be abrupt into the racing scene, which takes a lot more than being able to put out good numbers in training. "It's a huge challenge because the effort is completely different. I think in cycling, it's more about repeated efforts. Today, I'm certainly capable of being good for 50 minutes in a single burst. But repeating that several times in the same race or stage requires extreme effort".
His role is also likely to be that of a support rider, at least until he is able to prove otherwise. "In my early days as a young cyclist, I had no problem, quite the opposite, working for the team, going down to get water bottles, riding for a teammate who's better than me in the sprint. That's always been something that motivated me, that inspired me".
"I've never necessarily been focused on being a leader in cycling. Biathlon leads to that position, because we're all our own leaders. But in any case, working within a team and giving my all for other riders isn't something that bothers me. I'm not focused on "performing" for myself and not for the team. No matter what type of rider I am, no matter what task I'm given, I'd like to give 100% to it".
The Tour de France and Paris-Roubaix are races that inspire him, and that he dreams of racing one day. But if that's to ever happen, the path is still long. "We're in the realm of fantasy, we're in the realm of dreams, because there are so many steps to take before even thinking about World Tour races. So, before I can say 'I want to ride the Tour de France', I think there's a lot to accomplish first".
Read also
Emilien Jacquelin, c’est le panache, tout pour l’attaque !
— DECATHLON CMA CGM TEAM (@decathloncmacgm) March 29, 2026
Hâte de voir ce que cela va donner sur un vélo.
Bienvenue @EmilienJck dans ta nouvelle équipe !
//
Emilien Jacquelin is all about panache ! Pure attack mode!
We can't wait to see what he brings to the bike.… pic.twitter.com/fTYVVSVfde
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- This is a really interesting idea, which, if well prepared could even be very successful. Very little money needs to be involved for a first season and any success could lead to rapid interest from sponsors.Jumpyjohn07-11-2026
- Hmmm, you seem to have a very convenient black and white view of things. Perhaps you haven’t been around much to discover how complex problems can become over time with people who know how to control, manipulate (or worse) others so gradually or subtly that you arrive at an irresolvable situation before you realise. This is how many inconveniences get introduced to the young, naïve, passionate or “desperate”, knowing they are not armed, protected or strong enough to defend themselves once it’s too late. Why do you think omerta culture is so widespread, why do you think so many people continue to go through so many awful things in life that others can’t understand anyone getting into? Life may be far more jolly for you but you would do well to understand (or reflect more on) the real world to refrain from being so quick to criticise those in a hard spot that may have genuine reason for speaking out.Jumpyjohn07-11-2026
- Seriously do you think when somebody gets into a serious accident, the ambulance is called by the hurt person?🤦 there is always a buddy system in place for a risky job. police , firefighters etc so that if someone gets hurt, the other call that in.abstractengineer07-11-2026
- I get the point totally. We live in the snowflake society where some riders forget they are getting paid to ride and get results. When they have a few issues they try to look outside of the real issue instead of themselves. It odd so many of the team are making no complaints and getting on with their job. If you do not like what you do find another job simples. Tough love as my mum would say.paultryan200207-11-2026
- many people advise him to grow slowly and rather do giro and/or vuelta instead of tdf. but i can totally understand that he is not satisfied with taking over once pogi declines, but instead beat him in his prime. so if he goes for tdf again, i‘m all for it. let‘s hope that pogi recovers soon!Ketterechts07-11-2026
- So gracious to offer something no-one would be prepared to pay for. The Giro is not the Tour and doesn’t command the same interest or attract the same “elite” (those willing to pay to be a part of something they consider has ego boosting potential). Roadside viewing will always largely remain free for everyone outside circuits. Introduction of a symbolic entrance to mountain climbs is worthy of exploration. Asking 1-2€ isn’t going to repulse real fans (most will spend 50-100€ on their outing that day all things included) but will prevent a portion of the total knobhead thrillseekers who will join in any large gathering as long as it’s free, just because they’re attracted to crowds, without which it it difficult for them to work up their anti-social behaviour.Jumpyjohn07-11-2026
- How is radio going to help when someone went over a cliff or bridge or off the roadside into a forest unnoticed and is laying there unconscious?Jumpyjohn07-11-2026
- Yep, next we’ll be accusing F1 drivers of avoiding Le Mans.Jumpyjohn07-11-2026
- But on what is that opinion based? Are you holding him to a different standard than others? Are you saying he should do learn to like something he doesn’t Are you saying he hasn’t achieved enough Are you saying he pretends to be better than his results? It’s actually a really strange opinion to oust if you consider it objectively or rationally. Try applying it to others or yourself by asking if not EVERYONE should then be doing more? Nobody in athletics or swimming gets criticism for not expanding their repertoire when a rival or someone else does. In fact, most who move to another event get accused of running from their rival. Opinions are boring, the reasons behind them are what count.Jumpyjohn07-11-2026
- for a medical chief to throw things like is just bad. There are already radios which were banned for spectacle. allow radios. Gps trackers are not a complete solutionabstractengineer07-11-2026
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