How we interpreted that rule was a question in the application process. I said if somebody was in genuine danger and I was able to prevent additional harm then the rules would go out of the window. If not then I would press on.
In reality, I did offer help on quite a few occasions. I stopped to make sure Jayne was OK after she'd been blown off the road in Croatia. Paul was psychologically trapped by the wind there too and I pulled over for a couple of hours to talk him out of scratching (and give myself a break from the madness). Neil got himself lost at the start and I offered some directional help and a friendly light to follow, from a respectable distance. I gave out batteries, water, electrolytes, directions, cable ties, Euros, drugs, K-tape, food, mudguards(!) and probably more that I've forgotten. I don't imagine for a second that any of that affected the results in any meaningful way, but I'm happy that I kept to the spirit of the race, even if not the strict letter of the rules.
Wow. I didn't see enough people to hand anything to. Someone asked if I was OK once when I was maybe rerouting or something but most of my interactions were just "hi, bye".
How we interpreted that rule was a question in the application process. I said if somebody was in genuine danger and I was able to prevent additional harm then the rules would go out of the window. If not then I would press on.
In reality, I did offer help on quite a few occasions. I stopped to make sure Jayne was OK after she'd been blown off the road in Croatia. Paul was psychologically trapped by the wind there too and I pulled over for a couple of hours to talk him out of scratching (and give myself a break from the madness). Neil got himself lost at the start and I offered some directional help and a friendly light to follow, from a respectable distance. I gave out batteries, water, electrolytes, directions, cable ties, Euros, drugs, K-tape, food, mudguards(!) and probably more that I've forgotten. I don't imagine for a second that any of that affected the results in any meaningful way, but I'm happy that I kept to the spirit of the race, even if not the strict letter of the rules.