You press T (I think) which brings you to the Garage and effectively stops your avatar. The organizer stay at the line, and we just have to keep an eye on your avatar and be ready to ride, when you start. A second or two delay probably doesn't matter, at least not compared to the way we do it today, where there could be 10-30 seconds between riders crossing the segment start/banner.
Ah OK that sounds like a good way round the stopping issue.
I still think just a rolling start would be better/easier - I (or the ride leader) is effectively getting a jump on everyone else at the start otherwise which also doesn't seem right. The timing of when you cross the start banner is really only an issue for riders you're very closely matched with. We all know who these people are when we start a race - just mark each other and ensure you cross the line together and it will be fine. If someone decides to shoot off at top speed from the start and drop everyone before the start banner they clearly don't mind about this issue so it's up to them really. Either they will regret it as their competitors will be grouped together behind them and catch them while drafting together so they'd have wasted their energy, or they are confident they can stay away on their own in which case it's up to their competitors to try and stay with them at the start.
In other words I see what you choose to do before the timed segment to be just part of the overall race tactics really, and I kind of like that as it adds an extra dimension.
Having said that, if people would prefer a slow rolling start behind the race leader to the start banner I'm happy to do that - we have done it before and it worked fine.
Tommy, I don't think it will penalise me any more than anyone else because if we all go slowly together as a group with/behindme then the start tactics are the same for everyone really. I'm happy to go with the concensus.
I might try and set up a vote/poll.....