I dropped out of the RR at Coatesville while still in contention as well. I was just not in the mood to fight it out with an extremely aggressive group, especially after getting pulled in the crit the day before, much for the same reasons.
I was not in contention at Pawling however, pushing over 5w/kg for the first 5 minutes of the major climb was just enough to allow me to watch them ride away. From what I could tell, they never went that hard again throughout the race, but I was on my own for 1.5 laps and had no chance of catching back on.
Sucks man. I wish it was a physical issue for me. At least then I could say to myself that I need to do more intervals.
I tend to handle stage races better than one days, because I kill the ITT and then work to maintain GC position through the following days. Gives me a long term, tangible goal to aim for. Yesterday I found myself asking what the payoff is. I already know I'm stronger than just about everyone, and it's not like I'm going to make enough money to even cover my entry fee + gas if I win. Pain < Swimming
I think simplifying my life will help me focus better.