![\"Jacquelin](\"https:\/\/velo-cdn.outsideonline.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Biathlon.jpg\")
<\/p>\nCycling’s obsession with winter sports continues as Olympic biathlon gold medalist \u00c9milien Jacquelin hooks up with Decathlon CMA CGM.<\/p>\n
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(Photo: Decathlon CMA CGM + Getty Images)<\/p>\n
Updated March 30, 2026 01:29AM<\/p>\n
Biathlon legend \u00c9milien Jacquelin is tossing his rifle for a ride with a budding WorldTour super team as pro cycling continues to flirt with ski athletes.<\/p>\n
Jacquelin \u2013 a four-time Olympic medalist and multiple world champion \u2013 will join the Decathlon CMA CGM<\/a> devo team from May 1 \u201cwith the goal of testing his physical potential against the demands of the professional peloton.\u201d<\/p>\n Biathlon \u2013 sometimes known as \u201cski shooting\u201d \u2013 combines cross-country skiing and rifle shooting in a test of raw VO2 max and poise under pressure.<\/p>\n Jacquelin is a Hall of Famer in this niche sport.<\/p>\n He\u2019s earned 55 podium finishes in the Olympic Games, World Championships, and Biathlon World Cup. The Frenchman capped his crazy palmar\u00e8s this winter with a gold medal in the team relay at the recent Winter Games in Cortina.<\/p>\n Emilien Jacquelin, c\u2019est le panache, tout pour l\u2019attaque ! Bienvenue @EmilienJck<\/a> dans ta nouvelle \u00e9quipe !<\/p>\n \/\/<\/p>\n Emilien Jacquelin is all about panache ! Pure attack mode! <\/p>\n We can’t wait to see what he brings to the bike.\u2026 pic.twitter.com\/fTYVVSVfde<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 DECATHLON CMA CGM TEAM (@decathloncmacgm) March 29, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n This is just the latest example of cycling\u2019s ongoing obsession with skiers and their wild aerobic capacity.<\/p>\n We bet you didn\u2019t know that grand tour warhorse Primo\u017e Rogli\u010d used to be a ski jumper.<\/p>\n The likes of Anton Palzer and Visma-Lease a Bike prodigy J\u00f8rgen Nordhagen<\/a> have also taken their off-season cycling training to a new level with a ride in the WorldTour.<\/p>\n And of course, the internet only recently erupted with \u201cwill-he won\u2019t-he\u201d rumors that cross-country skiing GOAT Johannes Klaebo might saddle up with team Uno-X Mobility.<\/a><\/p>\n Jacquelin \u2018could be an excellent sprinter\u2019 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.<\/p>\n It seems the 30-year-old sees pro cycling as a fantasy side-quest that could lead him anywhere.<\/p>\n He\u2019s cited Marco Pantani as a childhood idol and even wore one of Il Pirata\u2019s earrings as a good luck charm at the Cortina Olympics.<\/a><\/p>\n \u201cI want to step outside my comfort zone. I have a pretty good idea of what I\u2019m getting into, even though it will be a new and complicated challenge,\u201d Jacquelin told L\u2019Equipe<\/a>. \u201cI\u2019m going to live my wildest dream.\u201d<\/p>\n Decathlon\u2019s head of performance Jean-Baptiste Quiclet is already salivating at the prospect of how far Jacquelin\u2019s aerobic capacity will translate onto a pair of wheels.<\/p>\n A ride alongside the likes of Paul Seixas, Tobias Lund Andresen, and Matthew Riccitello at the Decathlon WorldTour team could be a possibility.<\/p>\n \u201cThe idea is to give him the opportunity to try his hand at cycling with the team\u2019s support, so that he can develop his skills,\u201d Quiclet said.<\/p>\n \u201cWe 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,\u201d Quiclet continued. \u201cWe 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.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
H\u00e2te de voir ce que cela va donner sur un v\u00e9lo. <\/p>\n
\n![\"Jacquelin](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/GettyImages-2266492484.jpg\"\/)
Jacquelin has mastered biathlon\u2019s unique mash-up of skiing and shooting. (Photo: Kevin Voigt\/GettyImages)<\/p>\n