I’m racing IMCDA this June, and I had a question about outside assistance. My motel lies less than 1/4 mile off of the bike course. In the event that I happen to forget something important and leave it in the motel room, is it legal to leave the bike course, enter my motel room (and grab a quick snack, or whatever I need, or a short nap, etc.) and then re-enter the bike course where I left it? Does that constitute outside assistance? (BTW, there will be nobody else in the room, I’m staying solo. So there would not be any person who provides me assistance). Just out of curiousity, that is why I’m asking. Of course, it would have to be something that I forgot that is REALLY crucial for me to bother doing this at all.
I think you’d be penalized for leaving the course actually (if caught).
at IMNZ (IIRC) we were allowed off the course ,(the rd was teasing us with a tale of a bakery or something similar) so long as we re-entered the course in the same spot we left from.
YMMV depending on race to race though, hell, I could even be wrong here too.
Yes you can leave the course and re-enter at the same point. Note exceptions, which I don’t think would apply in your scenario.
From the USAT rulebook:
http://www.usatriathlon.org/upload/pdfs/usat_rules_download.pdf
e. Re-entry. Upon leaving the course, a participant shall re-enter the course and continue at the same point of departure. Any violation of this Section shall result in a variable time penalty, unless the Head Referee in his sole discretion determines that (i) the violation was substantial and resulted in an unfair time advantage, or (ii) the violation constituted endangerment under Section 3.4(l), in which case the penalty shall be disqualification. Paul