Decathlon CMA CGM have signed biathlete Émilien Jacquelin for their New Gen development program, the squad announced in a press release earlier this week, in the latest case of a skier moving into the world of professional cycling.
A recent gold medallist and bronze medallist in biathlon from the Milan-Cortina d'Ampezzo Games and a double silver in Beijing in 2022, the 30-year-old French biathlete is a longstanding cycling enthusiast and has ridden a bike as part of his training for many years.
Article continues below"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."
"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.”
Whilst the most famous case in recent years of a winter sports athlete turned pro racer is undoubtedly Primož Roglič (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe), others who have formed part of the current peloton include the Slovenian's teammate and Tour de France podium finisher Florian Lipowitz, who used to compete in biathlon.
Others bridging the divide but who now have retired include Anton Palzer, who spent five years with Roglič's current team through to 2025, and former GC top ten Vuelta a España finisher Carl Fredrik Hagen. Back in the day, too, pro teams would regularly take their riders cross-country skiing in the winter as part of training camps.
“This is a project that has been brewing in the back of my mind. While the 2030 Winter Games in France remain a goal, I now feel the urge to explore something new and compete at the highest level in cycling by joining the Decathlon CMA CGM team," Jacquelin said in the same press release.
"I’ve always cycled, whether in my youth or during my physical training, but from now on, every day will be a new challenge."
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