Another dream is about to become reality: French biathlete Émilien Jacquelin will compete on August 16 in his first professional race, starting at the Polynormande.
After fulfilling his dream of competing at the Milan Cortina 2026 Olympics while wearing an earring of his idol Marco Pantani, Jacquelin is currently an intern with a special six-month contract with Decathlon-CMA CGM and is preparing for a long-awaited and much-desired debut.
The newspaper La Presse de la Manche has officially confirmed the news: "He confirmed to me that he will be at the start. And he will be one of the attractions of the race because his presence will generate curiosity and interest among fans. It's a great coup for us to have a rider like Émilien Jacquelin at the start," explained race organizer and speaker Daniel Mangeas.

Jacquelin will race alongside former French champion Paul Lapeira and will compete against riders of the caliber of Guillaume Martin, David Gaudu, and Baptiste Veistroffer. For the record, last Sunday Jacquelin competed in the Grand Prix de Longes, a French amateur race, finishing in 11th place.