The helmet-mounted radios were originally implemented as a safety device that would allow directors to caution riders regarding accidents, treacherous turns, or objects in the road. But the efficient ability they give coaches to communicate continuously with their riders has made them useful in a wider variety of ways. Some in cycling have argued that reliance on the director and access to such critical data have taken strategy away from the bike and placed it in the car. The new rule is an attempt to maintain the safety advantage of the radio while mitigating the strategic role it can play. Whether 30 seconds is an appropriate head start is to be determined. [Via the Wall Street Journal]
