FYI, unclipping from a pedal is not grounds for a restart.
If your pedal breaks, cleat breaks, strap breaks, yes, you can get a restart. But, if you simply unclip, no. Why? Unclipping is not your pedal breaking.
Every single on of the hundreds of rules in the rule book is there for a reason...because one day something happened, there was drama, and a rule had to be made in order to keep the drama from happening in the future.
If I'm officiating and a rider pulls out of a pedal and rolls off the track and asks for a restart.
Question 1: Did something break?
If the answer is yes, then show me. If the answer is no, then DNF.
If I grant a restart, it makes 1 athlete happy and pisses off everyone else in the field. That's not fair.
Until the UCI rule above is amended, that is the rule (not my interpretation).
The rule is there for you to use. Use it if you need to or if you feel like someone else is given an unfair advantage. This is why rules exist and we all agree to abide by them when participating.
Last edited by carleton; 09-29-18 at 12:04 AM.