Olympic biathlete Émilien Jacquelin joins Decathlon-CMA CGM devo team
Four-time Olympic biathlon medallist Émilien Jacquelin is set to join Decathlon-CMA CGM’s NewGen (development) team this year, starting May 1.
Jacquelin is best known for his swashbuckling style as a biathlete, with results including nine World Championship medals (five as winner), as well as having recently secured his first Olympic gold medal in the team biathlon event in Milano-Cortina. But his love of cycling has never been far away – indeed, throughout the 2026 Winter Olympics he competed wearing an earring that belonged to the revered Italian climber, Marco Pantani.
Marco Pantani’s earring is in the Winter Olympics
A French biathlete is paying tribute to the legendary climber, wearing Pantani’s earring for the duration of the Milano-Cortina Games.
The combination of Jacquelin’s athletic potential and deep love of the sport proved tantalising for Decathlon-CMA CGM, who opted to bring him on board for an initial six-month stint with its development squad. In a press release announcing the signing, Decathlon-CMA CGM’s head of performance, Jean-Baptiste Quiclet, said that “cycling is already one of the pillars of [Jacquelin’s] biathlon training. In this post-Olympic year, the idea is to offer him the opportunity to try his hand at competitive cycling with the team’s support, so he can develop his potential.”
As for Jacquelin, this is a chance for him to “live out this childhood dream … I plan to give 100%, with no half-measures. I am fully aware of how fortunate I am, and I am also eager to share my experience with the younger riders.”