but our regular Goodwood Ontario townline sprint (which marks the coffee break) is just beyond (about... 150 yards beyond) the crest of an incline, a slight uphill.
It's only ever once we reach the crest that someone goes for it.
I can labor up that incline in the big ring, but do I not put myself at a disadvantage by not being able to accelerate quickly when the time comes?
I feel that way in the big ring and so have been starting on the small ring and then trying to pop it up to the big ring to finish the job.
But that might just be lack of experience.