He traded biathlon for professional cycling – and received a frosty welcome in his new sport. Now the Olympic star reveals that some riders are unwilling to help him advance.

This winter, Emilien Jacquelin delivered the best season of his life as a biathlete, winning gold and bronze at the Olympics and securing numerous podium finishes in the World Cup. Then came the shocking news: He left the national biathlon team and signed with the cycling team Decathlon-CMA CGM.

However, the start of his cycling career has proven to be much tougher than expected.

“There are a lot of people following along who are intrigued, some who want the best for me, others who don’t necessarily want me to succeed,” Jacquelin said after his elite-level racing debut. 

“It doesn’t matter, but it’s definitely always a special feeling,” he told Sports-Infos.

Rough start

The beginning of his cycling career has been rough. In May, Jacquelin broke his collarbone in a nasty crash that could have jeopardized both his cycling and biathlon careers. But the 31-year-old fought his way back and made his elite debut earlier this week. 

Read More – Sudden halt for biathlon star: season in doubt

It was a unique experience. 

“I see that if I find myself at the front, the other riders don’t necessarily take turns at the front. I’m a bit of a target, even though I’m currently the Olympic and World Champion in biathlon, but on the bike I’m not much of a contender,” Jacquelin said.

The story continues below.

Bringing the positives

For the French biathlon star, who competed in the Olympics in Milano-Cortina with a ring from his late cycling hero Marco Pantani in his ear, it has been a childhood dream to try his hand at professional cycling. 

Despite the attitudes of some, the biathlon star is taking away many positives from his elite debut. 

“The primary objective was really to see how I felt in an Elite peloton,” he told DirectVelo.

“Overall, it was a good experience, both downhill and in the fast sections. I held my own; I felt like I was well-positioned in the pack without expending too much energy. And when it got intense, I managed not to get stressed or think negatively. So that bodes well for the future,” he said. 

As of August 1, Emilien Jacquelin is officially part of the Decathlon-CMA CGM team.

There, Jacquelin will be teammates with France’s new superstar Paul Seixas, Olav Kooij, Tiesj Benoot, and Aurelien Paret-Peintre from this year’s Tour de France. 

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