Don't pooh-pooh the hill. It may not be much, but it is similar to the rise on one of my local circuits. Like mine, it comes after a bend and, if I understand correctly, fairly close to the finish.
What happens is that the guys at the front can take their own line through the bend and hammer up the hill. Those further back get the usual yo-yo effect going into the bend, and then have to red-line it on the hill to get back on. I know this to my cost. So I'd suggest trying to be towards the front at the bend before the hill. If you can't do that, allow a gap to develop between you and those immediately ahead of you before the bend so that you can accelerate through it and use that momentum to pass them while they are clambering out of the saddle to close up.
The ditches look problematic, I haven't encountered anything like them in a crit. Easy enough to hop them at speed, but the one immediately before a turn would be a concern. I'd be looking to stay away from anyone squirrelly at that point...
That's what occurs to this particular novice, anyway.
Last edited by chasm54; 07-12-12 at 05:01 PM.