How do the start, bike check and time penalties work in an individual time trial?
Rule- Australia
- AusCycling
- Road racing
- Commissaires
- All ages
- 2026
- Officials
- Technical Regulations
From the 2026 AusCycling Road Technical Regulations, individual time trial (2.02):
- Bike check: riders must present themselves and their equipment to the bike check area at least 15 minutes before their allotted start time (2.02.03).
- Intervals: riders start at one-minute intervals and are held at the start by an appointed start attendant.
- False start: a competitor who starts before the signal gets a ten-second penalty added to their time.
- Late starter: must stop at the start line with one foot on the ground, may not start before the starter gives the start and in any case not within 10 seconds of another rider's start. Their time begins from their original start signal.
- Mishap: a restart may be granted for a mishap in the first 100m, with the rider starting after the last competitor. No restart after the first 100m, and only two starts are permitted.
- Time penalties: may be added for breaching the start and passing rules, using the Time Penalties Chart in Annexure 1 (2.02.07). The final result is the recorded time, to the hundredth of a second, plus any time penalties determined by the PCP (2.02.08).
- Championship events: an enclosed area of at least four square metres within 100m of the start line, with at least one table and two chairs, is set aside for measuring and inspecting each rider's bicycle, helmet and clothing (2.00.02).
Added 24 Oct 2026