Cycling’s obsession with winter sports continues as Olympic biathlon gold medalist Émilien Jacquelin hooks up with Decathlon CMA CGM.
(Photo: Decathlon CMA CGM + Getty Images)
Updated March 30, 2026 01:29AM
Biathlon legend Émilien Jacquelin is tossing his rifle for a ride with a budding WorldTour super team as pro cycling continues to flirt with ski athletes.
Jacquelin – a four-time Olympic medalist and multiple world champion – will join the Decathlon CMA CGM devo team from May 1 “with the goal of testing his physical potential against the demands of the professional peloton.”
Biathlon – sometimes known as “ski shooting” – combines cross-country skiing and rifle shooting in a test of raw VO2 max and poise under pressure.
Jacquelin is a Hall of Famer in this niche sport.
He’s earned 55 podium finishes in the Olympic Games, World Championships, and Biathlon World Cup. The Frenchman capped his crazy palmarès this winter with a gold medal in the team relay at the recent Winter Games in Cortina.
Emilien Jacquelin, c’est le panache, tout pour l’attaque !
Hâte de voir ce que cela va donner sur un vélo.
Bienvenue @EmilienJck dans ta nouvelle équipe !
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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
— DECATHLON CMA CGM TEAM (@decathloncmacgm) March 29, 2026
This is just the latest example of cycling’s ongoing obsession with skiers and their wild aerobic capacity.
We bet you didn’t know that grand tour warhorse Primož Roglič used to be a ski jumper.
The likes of Anton Palzer and Visma-Lease a Bike prodigy Jørgen Nordhagen have also taken their off-season cycling training to a new level with a ride in the WorldTour.
And of course, the internet only recently erupted with “will-he won’t-he” rumors that cross-country skiing GOAT Johannes Klaebo might saddle up with team Uno-X Mobility.
Jacquelin ‘could be an excellent sprinter’
Jacquelin has mastered biathlon’s unique mash-up of skiing and shooting. (Photo: Kevin Voigt/GettyImages)
Jacquelin plans to continue to keep a toe in biathlon while he explores his potential on the bike. The 2030 Winter Games in the French Alps are his North Star.
It seems the 30-year-old sees pro cycling as a fantasy side-quest that could lead him anywhere.
He’s cited Marco Pantani as a childhood idol and even wore one of Il Pirata’s earrings as a good luck charm at the Cortina Olympics.
“I want to step outside my comfort zone. I have a pretty good idea of what I’m getting into, even though it will be a new and complicated challenge,” Jacquelin told L’Equipe. “I’m going to live my wildest dream.”
Decathlon’s head of performance Jean-Baptiste Quiclet is already salivating at the prospect of how far Jacquelin’s aerobic capacity will translate onto a pair of wheels.
A ride alongside the likes of Paul Seixas, Tobias Lund Andresen, and Matthew Riccitello at the Decathlon WorldTour team could be a possibility.
“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,” Quiclet said.
“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,” Quiclet continued. “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.”