Originally Posted by
TejanoTrackie
Carleton, I think you are mis-interpretting what I said and what the rules say. I did not say that a rider could move out of the sprinter's lane if that would impede another rider seeking to pass.
2B1. Leaders must occupy the sprinters lane unless far enough in the lead so as not to interfere with competitors seeking to pass. If the leader is below the sprinters line, the following riders may not pass underneath [relegation or disqualification].
2B2. A competitor overtaking another must pass on the outside unless the rider ahead is riding above the sprinters line. A rider who passes another must not in any way impede the progress of the passed rider [relegation or disqualification].
I think the problem is that in your earlier post you said "only applies in match sprints". The sprinters lane concept actually applies in all mass start races as you quote above, but with slightly more explicit rules and restrictions in a match sprint. If you remove the word "match" from your previous post it's probably the best answer given so far- I don't know that I could explain much better; I agree with your comment about soft pedaling.
Basically, if the sprint is over and you want off the front: look and make sure it's clear, then move smoothly off the front. If you're boxed, go ahead and float/ease up and let people past you.
And as you say, it has nothing to do with the 200 m mark-- even in match sprints the rule is "once the sprint has begun". In a match sprint the sprint can often start well before or well after the 200 m mark, and sometimes even starts, aborts, and then restarts.