Raced the Hammer Velo Crit last weekend, in the combined 40/50/60+ 123 field which had about 30 riders total (but scored separately). The course is a very non-technical 1km 'D' with 2 wide corners and a sweeping curve into the finishing straight. 40 min.
Despite being a non-technical, flat course, this race is often won from a break and I knew the handful of riders that were likely to be in the break. I went out with three different break attempts in the first half of the race, instigating one myself, and following two others, but none that stuck for even a lap. About mid race, as an attack I went with as getting caught, the break of 4 that would win the race went away, including one of my teammates. I could have jumped to the move, but I knew there would be a good chance of it all coming back together if I did. Also, I thought all 4 were in the 40+ group, so I watched it go (turns out there was a 50+ guy in the break). With 8 laps to go, the break was well off and not coming back so I attacked to get something else going. Nobody followed and I rode off the front alone for 4 laps before I was caught, then did my best to recover and did meh in the final sprint, coming in I think 10th overall (5th in the 50+). My teammate in the break won the 40+ and I think my early work helped set up the winning break so I'm glad about that. And, it was lots of fun.