I never even thought of the restricted gears as being a concern when as a Junior racing with the Seniors. We just pedaled faster.
I raced as a Cat 2 for several years with a 52/14 top gear. Recalled one race at Super Week where they put the sponges in the corners expecting a record pace. We averaged something like 33 mph for the first 10 miles, and covered the 45mile distance in around 1hr 35 minutes.