Road Bike Racing - What is Rule on Team Assisting Other Team's Rider?

As I was watching Stage 14 coverage on OLN, Phil and Paul noted that Milram seemed to be working to lead out Paolo Bettini (for at least a second time in the Giro), and expressed surprise that this did not result in disqualifications. Today, on stage 15, it happened again. I am left wondering, what do the rules say about this? Is this a practice that can/should lead to penalties and/or disqualification? Is this simply "bad form" (as the British might say), and bound to lead to some hard feelings, or is this something that is simply a fact of life in the peleton?

If I were Olaf Pollack, I imagine I'd be rather steamed about this now.

May I ask why Milram would be intentionaly leading out Paolo? or was it by accident?

now, given the rumors of a contract change, if T-Mobile started leading out Bettini that might be a bit out of line

Milram was intent on leading out their remaining sprinter Ongarato but Bettini used his wheel to catapult himself at the sprint finish.

But there is a long history of riders assisting riders of other teams. It's not uncommon.
Last year's Giro was a perfect example.

Discovery's team did not have many climbers to assist Paolo Salvodelli. This required him to exhaust his climbers early in each stage leaving him vulnerable in that latter climbs of of the day. So Sean Yates negotiated with Alan Peiper of Davitomon Lotto for assistance. DL did not have a GC contender but had mutual benefit of volunteering Mauricio Ardilla(?) to assist Salvodelli on the last climbs.

If you go back to last year's video, you will see a Davitomon rider pulling Paolo during the most critical mountain stages. The courtesy saved Salvodelli and kept him within striking distance of Simoni, DiLuca, and Rujano. Without the support from the other rider, Salvodelli surely would have lost contact and possibly the race.

This type of backroom agreements were common in the past and I'm sure they still occur today.

That's racing. Pollack lost again because he mis-timed the sprint, again.

There was a stage in last year's TdF where Lance Armstrong, George Hincapie, and Floyd Landis were accused of trying to hold the peleton back to let Chris Horner win the stage on a breakaway.

[QUOTE=squeegy200]Milram was intent on leading out their remaining sprinter Ongarato but Bettini used his wheel to catapult himself at the sprint finish.

But there is a long history of riders assisting riders of other teams. It's not uncommon.
Last year's Giro was a perfect example.

Discovery's team did not have many climbers to assist Paolo Salvodelli. This required him to exhaust his climbers early in each stage leaving him vulnerable in that latter climbs of of the day. So Sean Yates negotiated with Alan Peiper of Davitomon Lotto for assistance. DL did not have a GC contender but had mutual benefit of volunteering Mauricio Ardilla(?) to assist Salvodelli on the last climbs.

If you go back to last year's video, you will see a Davitomon rider pulling Paolo during the most critical mountain stages. The courtesy saved Salvodelli and kept him within striking distance of Simoni, DiLuca, and Rujano. Without the support from the other rider, Salvodelli surely would have lost contact and possibly the race.

This type of backroom agreements were common in the past and I'm sure they still occur today.[/
QUOTE]

I didn't follow the Giro in much detail last year so I'm curious what the benefit to DL was from the negotiation to help Savoldelli

more time on teevee i would imagine + mentions in the press.

[QUOTE=squeegy200]Milram was intent on leading out their remaining sprinter Ongarato but Bettini used his wheel to catapult himself at the sprint finish.

But there is a long history of riders assisting riders of other teams. It's not uncommon.
Last year's Giro was a perfect example.

Discovery's team did not have many climbers to assist Paolo Salvodelli. This required him to exhaust his climbers early in each stage leaving him vulnerable in that latter climbs of of the day. So Sean Yates negotiated with Alan Peiper of Davitomon Lotto for assistance. DL did not have a GC contender but had mutual benefit of volunteering Mauricio Ardilla(?) to assist Salvodelli on the last climbs.

If you go back to last year's video, you will see a Davitomon rider pulling Paolo during the most critical mountain stages. The courtesy saved Salvodelli and kept him within striking distance of Simoni, DiLuca, and Rujano. Without the support from the other rider, Salvodelli surely would have lost contact and possibly the race.

This type of backroom agreements were common in the past and I'm sure they still occur today.[/
QUOTE]

I didn't follow the Giro in much detail last year so I'm curious what the benefit to DL was from the negotiation to help Savoldelli

There was an in-depth article about it in Cyclesport America. I can't recall it but I believe Disco did something to give Davitamon a stage win earlier in the race. It may have been another race entirely