400 watts for a kilometer at 7-9 mph (10 kph) is about 6 minutes. No way I could do 400w for 6 minutes. 300 would be stretching it.

I recall a ride earlier this year where I was sustaining 200w, under intense pressure, up a 7 or 8% grade (Palomar), and going about 4 or 5 mph. Nothing would have gotten me going faster.

New racer? Get a low gear (39x25 minimum) and go. The field will be totally blasted to pieces anyway, if the 15% grade is an accurate average. Everyone will be struggling up the stupid hills.

If I had to do a race like that, I'd look for a compact and put some really aero wheels on. At least then the time trialing while off the back would seem, well, a bit faster. In fact, that's what I used to do in hilly road races - set the bike up for time trialing. I almost made it back once, gaining back a couple minutes on a lethargic field, but I stopped at the feed zone. That's when someone said "Oh, they're like 15 seconds up the road". Grr. Of course that was the first 100km lap, and there was another 100 km lap to go. I wasn't about to do the second lap anyway.

cdr