So, being a race situation, how was the clearance concern overcome? Was the captain willing to coast through the corners with a more lean angle?, did the riders shift their bodies slightly to the inside keeping a more upright chassis that allowed pedaling just less efficiently, was an equipment change accomplished to lessen the width of the outside edge to outside edge of the left / right pedal dimension (shorter pedals).
I never measured the exact lean angle on a road tandem to obtain a pedal strike. No doubt a rear strike would be preferred to a front pedal strike.
PK
We were just doing test rides. But I think in a race situation, we would have had the same limitations as every other bike, so no need to change anything. It's all a compromise. Can't get something for nothing.