Well, I got my first penalty at the National Duathlon Championships yesterday. I know exactly where it happened and like almost everyone who is penalized, I don't believe I deserved it. Here are the facts from my seatpost: Making a more than 90 degree turn that climbs up to a highway a female rider attempts a pass. This part of the course is a small climb and I stand to maintain speed up to the top. The female passing rider's front edge of her wheel never passes the hub of my front wheel and she drops back. USAT official comes by at that point and I see the official looking back and writing. IMHO the official was not in the correct position to see if the female rider had a wheel overlap. At the venue I do not find a place where penalties are posted (the transition area is huge). So here are my issues. 1. I am not informed of my penalty until much later that evening when it is posted on-line so I can't make my case to the head referee in person. 2. No information is given about the penalty, (just 2:00 minutes) so I'm not sure this is the incident that stick out in my mind. so how can I learn from this? 3. I could protest the penalty (I won't because it really won't change anything but a few places) but how would I do so. There is no contact information so I can't write to the head referee. I suppose I could contact the RD but you know how that goes, by the time I would actually get the contact information the 10 day window of appeals would probably pass. 4. You can't really protest a "judgment call, article X para. 10.1(a) anyway so you are pretty much at the mercy of the official making the call, right or wrong. Why do I mention this? Not really to whine or complain (although there might be a little of that ), but to note what I see as flaws in the penalty system. Comments anyone?

I was surprised at Ironman 70.3 Augusta, that they wanted you to stop for penalties.  If the marshal was going to give you a penalty, they would ride up next to you and make sure you acknowledge a color card.  Then at the next station, you were supposed to stop, tell them your penalty, sign your name, and depending on the penalty stand with a stop watch until your penalty was up, then you could continue.

 

I saw how this helps keep the finish in order, but it seems like all the stopping and such would affect you more than a flat 2 min penalty or such.  Still, it was an interesting idea.

I've actually been wondering what the penalties I see in the results are for.

 

I'd read about the draft rule, but what I thought I remember doesn't really match what you're describing, so I must not have it right.

 

Below is my hazy understanding of my vague memory:

Rider A is leading. Rider B approaches from the back. After Rider B gets within some distance (I dunno), then Rider B has a limited time in which he must pass through and get in front, or fall back out of the zone, or else he (Rider B) should be penalized.

 

 

 

Besides asking if anyone is kind enough to correct the above, are there penalties that occur in the swim or run?

 

What happens if someone cuts the course -- is that a penalty or a DQ or (they have to go back)...?