Originally Posted by khuon
I haven't raced XC in a while but when I did, outside assistance of any kind wasn't allowed. I know they changed the rules to allow for a support area/pit but I still thought it was illegal to accept outside support on the course. That said, I will generally offer assistance to people I see in trouble out on the trails with the exception of a race.
It is still the rule. However if the person is not competitive for one of the top spots it is generally overlooked. I have given out my CO2 inflator, tubes and multitool during races before.
There have been a couple of big occasions where people were stripped of their podium spots because they accepted a tool or a tube from another racer. I can't remember the racers name but one of them was one of the big boys of NORBA.