I've never raced before. My first race is a very short road race (about 23 miles) coming up in 4 weeks. The guys I've been riding with ride in the collegiate A-C range, and I'll be racing in the D group (worst) for my first race. From what they tell me, the guys who race D are out of shape and I should be stronger than almost all of them. Should I:
Stay near the front to avoid crashes, and sprint the finish?
If I have teammates with me, attempt a break away?
Chase down break attempts?
Don't worry about break attempts, the group will catch up?
Not really sure what to expect, but I'm anticipating being in better physical shape than most of the people in the race.