Olympic biathlon champion with 'great athletic potential' makes his debut for Decathlon CMA CGM this week
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Follow us on GoogleÉmilien Jacquelin will make his debut for Decathlon CMA CGM this week. Émilien who? Émilien Jacquelin, Olympic biathlon relay champion. The 31-year-old Frenchman has already won four Olympic medals and been crowned world biathlon champion five times. Now he’s going to try his hand at road cycling.
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Jacquelin had already made headlines during the Olympic Games when it became clear that he was wearing Marco Pantani’s earring during his races. The Frenchman from Grenoble, a big fan of the Italian climber, even received special permission to do so.
Decathlon CMA CGM announced this spring that Jacquelin would join the New Gen team starting May 1. “This is a project that’s been on my mind for a while. Although the 2030 Winter Games in France are still a goal, I now want to explore something new and compete at the highest level of cycling by joining the Decathlon CMA CGM team.”
That decision didn’t come out of nowhere. “I’ve always cycled, both as a kid and as part of my physical training, but from now on, every day will be a new challenge. I’m convinced that the training methods, the nutritional guidance, the equipment provided by Van Rysel, and the team’s strict structure will enable me to make progress and reach a new milestone.”
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Based on VO2 max, the team has high hopes for Jacquelin
"I want to give it my all—100 percent—without cutting corners. I realise how fortunate I am, and I also think it’s important to pass on my experience to young people. I want to live up to the team’s trust and approach this childhood dream with humility, because I know how demanding it is. I’d like to thank the team, and Sébastien Joly in particular, for this wonderful opportunity,” said Jacquelin.
"Cycling was already one of the cornerstones of his preparation for biathlon. "In this post-Olympic year, the goal is to give him the opportunity to try his hand at cycling with the team’s support, so that he can develop his skills," said Jean Baptiste Quiclet on behalf of Decathlon CMA-CGM.
"His explosiveness in biathlon could very well make him an excellent sprinter on the road," was the comment made when he announced the move this spring. "We’re counting on his great athletic potential and high VO2 max, which, after proving himself on skis, should also come into full play on the bike."
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Jacquelin can start racing immediately
Jacquelin—who has cycled 7,330 kilometers over the past few months—has now completed a high-altitude training camp and will make his debut in La Polynormande on Sunday. “Émilien has prepared well recently, with a grueling high-altitude training camp in Arc 1950. We’ve gained nothing but positive results from it, because he had the time to work on his fitness and complete one mountain training session after another,” said Quiclet.
The Frenchman did, however, have to deal with a setback: a broken collarbone. “I experienced this project, this desire, from the inside out. For myself. I preferred to put my energy into training rather than writing about it. In the space of three months, I went through everything an athlete can go through: excitement, over-motivation, injuries, quitting, doubts, tears…”
"But one thing has never changed: every morning, I moved forward. For some, it's just one step, but for me, it's a huge one. It's the reward for hundreds of hours of work, choices, self-reflection, and the confidence I've gained," he wrote.
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"We decided to race right after that, knowing he would be tired, to see how his body would react. The performance data collected confirmed that his preparation was solid. Given his steady progress, he meets the requirements to compete in the Polynormande and the Tour du Limousin,” the team said.
"These are two demanding races, but they fit his profile well. The goal is for him to integrate into the group, contribute as much as possible to the team, and learn how to approach such matches at the professional level. Once that happens, we can say that part of the project has been successful. Based on the analysis of these two matches, we can then discuss the next steps together."
Tom van der Salm (27) comes from the charming town of Zeilberg (Deurne) in the Netherlands and has been working as editor-in-chief & journalist at IDL Pro Cycling's parent site, In de Leiderstrui, since 2019. He travels with the peloton from the Tour de France to the AlUla Tour and from the World Championships in Rwanda or Canada to the Zilvermeercross in Mol. In his spare time he enjoys playing football, mountain biking, running, walking with his Labrador/Stabyhoun, investing, holidays, (specialty) beers, reading, cooking and watching sports & documentaries!
Contact: [email protected]
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