Finally got to do a road race this weekend. It was a 3/4 with about 65 starters, including 15 women of, I think, open cats. Mostly flat and non-technical loop of 4.3 miles that did 12 or 13 times (55 miles total).
The wind actually made this a pretty spicy affair. I knew some of the competition, one of whom was a guy who races as a 3/4 but went on to win and set a national course record (Scotland) on a 100 mile TT. Roughly 3/4s of the way in, he and some others were moving off the front and as some of them burned off his wheel, I bridged up. Half a lap later, struggling to hold TT guy's wheel, 3 others either started pulling through (and I was just so crossed eyed I didn't see them) or they bridged back up. At any rate, group of 5 was more selection than breakaway at this point.
We then proceeded to catch a break of 2 up the road which previously looked like it was destined to stay away; more reason (as if you need it) to always hang in there. As a group of 7 we now kept working, but is was SOOOO surge-y. The guys were much stronger than they were smooth, or some of them were intentionally putting the hurt on. I stayed in the break for a lap and a half and then got dropped. At various times I was sitting on, and it wasn't a particular attack that dropped me.
I was happy to make the move, and I think the other guys were all cat 2 (or greater) in waiting. Also happy that I really went for it. Pretty disappointed that I didn't find a way to hang in. I could have sat on and shook my head, but I didn't. I couldn't hang with the field as they came through later, so that at least makes me think I was properly cooked.