Helmets Rule for Elites

(a) Type of Helmet. All participants shall wear a protective head cover, undamaged and unaltered, which meets or exceeds the safety standards of the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) and which is clearly labeled by the manufacturer as satisfying such standards. Helmets not labeled as approved by the CPSC, but meet one or more of the following standards Snell B90, Snell B95, ASTM 144712, CEN European Standard, Canadian Standards Association, Standards Australia/Standards New Zealand AS/NZS, and Japanese Industrial Standard JIS, may be used on condition the participant completes and signs a supplemental waiver. Removal of a helmet cover, if required for that helmet to meet such safety standards, or the addition of elastic to the helmet strap shall constitute an impermissible alteration in violation of this Section. Any violation of this Section 5.9A(a) shall result in disqualification.

(b) Use of Helmet. The helmet must be properly placed on the head and fastened before the participant first mounts the bicycle, at all times when the participant is on the bicycle, and must not be unfastened or removed unless the participant has dismounted. Any violation of this Section 5.9A(b) shall result in disqualification. Not withstanding the preceding sentence, a participant shall not be disqualified if the helmet strap unintentionally and temporarily becomes unattached, and the participant immediately comes to a full stop and repairs the strap and replaces the helmet while fully stopped with both feet on the ground.

(c) Chinstraps. The helmet strap must be unsnapped at the start of the race and must remain unsnapped until the athlete is prepared to begin the bicycle portion of the event. The helmet strap must be snapped in the transition area immediately prior to beginning the bicycle course.