TT Helmet

… or me and the race marshals… It already started on Saturday at bike check-in, when my TT helmet failed inspection — more on that in the post about the bad omen. Today was the sequel: I picked up my very first time penalty in my triathlon career. More on that below. Conditions today were significantly tougher than last year — fairly windy (last year was calm). This showed up in the swim as choppiness, and later on the bike with wind from every conceivable direction. ...

The race marshals at the Challenge Kraichgau bike check-in were very thorough — and they found something. My TT helmet is defective and I’m not allowed to race with it tomorrow. The reason: two approximately 5mm-long “cracks in the outer shell” (direct quote from the marshal), which can no longer guarantee safety… The initial shock was significant, especially because I don’t quite see it the way the marshal does. In principle he’s right — there’s a crack, and that’s against the rules. BUT: the underlying material is completely undamaged and just as solid as before the crack. It really is just a crack in that 1mm-thick outer shell… ...