Olympic biathlon champion Émilien Jacquelin to make professional cycling debut at Polynormande
French biathlon Olympic champion Émilien Jacquelin, 31, will ride his first professional cycling race on Sunday, August 16, at the 169 km Polynormande in Avranches, Normandie, with the Decathlon CMA CGM team.
Olympic champion switches sports
Émilien Jacquelin, 31, will make his professional cycling debut on Sunday, August 16, 2026, at the Polynormande (169 km) in Avranches, Normandie, riding for the Decathlon CMA CGM team. Six months earlier, on February 17, the French biathlete won Olympic gold in the relay at Antholz-Anterselva, Italy. In March 2026, shortly after the Winter Olympics, he decided to pursue a switch to cycling, a sport he has been passionate about since childhood and practiced as a youth. He signed a six-month stagiaire contract with Decathlon CMA CGM in spring 2026, joining a squad that includes 19-year-old French prodigy Paul Seixas.
The transition has not been without setbacks. In mid-May, Jacquelin fractured his clavicle during a training ride and required surgery. He described the incident with humor at a press conference on Saturday, August 15, in Val-Saint-Père.
An excess of commitment on a wet roundabout meant I quickly found myself in hospital. But it was a blessing in disguise, because it allowed me to challenge myself even more (...) to strengthen my deep motivation.
The injury prompted him to question whether the cyclist's life was truly what he wanted. He said the answer came quickly.
I asked myself: if this is the real life of a cyclist (...), do I really want to do this? The answer was yes. Three or four days after the operation, I had even more certainty about this desire that I had.
- Wins Olympic gold in biathlon relay at Antholz-Anterselva, Italy
- Decides to transition from biathlon to professional cycling
- Fractures clavicle in training, undergoes surgery
- Press conference in Val-Saint-Père before Polynormande
- Professional cycling debut at Polynormande (169 km) in Avranches
- Tour du Limousin begins, four-stage race through August 21
Between stage fright and excitement
At the press conference, Jacquelin admitted to feeling nervous before his first professional race, but said the nerves were a sign of how much the new venture matters to him.
If I wasn't nervous, it would mean I don't care about it at all. But today, the day before the race, it's more excitement. I can't wait to discover this world that I've been preparing for for several months.
He will serve as a teammate to Paul Lapeira, the 2024 French champion and winner of the 2024 Polynormande edition. Lapeira, 26, will be the team leader for both the Polynormande and the Tour du Limousin, a four-stage race from August 18 to 21. Jacquelin's role will include fetching bottles from the back of the peloton for his new colleagues, a task he described with genuine pride.
Teammates' respect
Lapeira expressed admiration for Jacquelin's decision to leave his established career in biathlon for an uncertain future in cycling, noting the risk involved.
He's someone who made a place for himself in his sport and to come and question everything and leave, at least temporarily, his certainties, the world he knows, that's quite a gamble. Honestly, it's class.
Lapeira added that he knew Jacquelin had ridden as a youngster before turning to skiing, and that the biathlete had long harbored a dream of experiencing professional cycling. He also noted the risk: Jacquelin could have stayed in biathlon, where his place might be taken by a younger competitor during his absence. A self-described fan of Marco Pantani, Jacquelin will take on the role of a domestique, a position he acknowledged is new for him. After the Polynormande, his schedule includes the Tour du Limousin, where he will again support Lapeira across four stages from August 18 to 21.
