Summer Tour 2026 begins in Arçon

The second stage of the Summer Tour 2026 for biathlon is taking place on Saturday and Sunday in Arçon, located in the Doubs department of France. This follows the first stage, which was held in La Féclaz in Savoie one month earlier.

Event details and location

The competition is being held at the Florence Baverel stadium in Arçon, organized by the ESSS Montbenoit. This venue is celebrating its 20th anniversary during the event, and for the first time, entry to the stadium will be charged during the Summer Tour 2026.

Athletes competing in different events

Ten athletes are participating in the Loop One Festival in Munich, Germany, including Julia Simon, Océane Michelon, Fabien Claude, Emilien Claude, and Eric Perrot. Other athletes, such as Justine Braisaz-Bouchet, Camille Bened, Lou Jeanmonnot, Quentin Fillon-Maillet, Oscar Lombardot, and Jeanne Richard, are competing in Arçon.

Competition categories and awards

The event features races for U17, U19, and U21 age groups in summer biathlon, as well as national senior pursuit medals. The winners will be crowned as new French summer biathlon champions for these categories. Out of the four races in the Summer Tour, three will be used to determine the final rankings.

Schedule for Saturday and Sunday

On Saturday, the competition will start with sprints, including U17 races at 10:00 AM, U19 and U21/Seniors women’s races at 12:45 PM, and U19 and U21/Seniors men’s races at 3:30 PM. On Sunday, pursuits will be the focus, with U17 races at 8:55 AM and 9:35 AM, U19 at 11:20 AM and 12:10 PM, and U21/Seniors at 1:55 PM and 2:45 PM.

Event timeline and athlete choices

The full program, including training sessions and competitions, runs from Friday, October 16, through Sunday, October 18. Oscar Lombardot opted to compete in Arçon, in his home region, rather than the Loop One Festival in Munich, where he felt the race distances would be more authentic.

Selection concerns and team distribution

Stéphane Bouthiaux, from Nordic Magazine, revealed the list of ten French athletes selected for the Loop One Festival 2026. Some reports suggest the French team is not sending all its top biathletes to the festival due to concerns about the selection process. The distribution of the team staff between the Arçon event and the Loop One Festival is not detailed in the reports.