I went out to preview the course today, and ran into a couple of guys doing the same. One had raced there last year, so I asked him some newbie questions. Apparently n his first race he got dropped and had to finish the race all alone - this makes me feel better, since there's a good chance the same will happen to me
The course is pretty simple, and fairly flat. About 1/3 of the course is a long straightaway that rises slightly. At the end of ths there's a hard right that turns uphill, and then a descent that turns less sharply and drops more gradually. My bike handling skills are decent (from commuting every day in traffic), but the straight section worries me. I can't sprint. At
all. I may just spin to the line, unless I get a sudden burst of confidence.