There was a bloke trying to race me this morning. He only had a short trip to make, came on to the road behind me, stopped at a red light further on still behind me.
I approached a narrow section (priority over oncoming traffic) in primary, he undertook me there, then looked back. I stayed where I was, going at a speed that I thought was as fast as I safely could in the traffic. Caught up with a bus, he was stuck behind it because he was in a stupid road position, I went around the outside, the bus indicated to pull out just as I was past it, so the other cyclist was stuffed.
I headed off down a narrow one way street, got stuck behind a car, couldn't go anywhere, the other cyclist caught up and tried to dart past him on the left pavement three or four times but couldn't get past. The car turned left (as it had to do), I went straight on round it on to a short stretch of road I really could accelerate on, left the other cyclist behind.
That road ends in a T-junction, sort of, theres an obvious straight on but the main road gets priority. I stopped for it, the other guy caught up again just as I was heading off, I got stuck behind a slow taxi, the other cyclist mounted the pavement where he got stuck (theres a wide gutter, a historical feature called 'hobsons conduit just there), so the pedestrians he soon encountered blocked his way and he had no way back on to the road.
Racing... Its for other people. I'll keep going at my own pace, which is sharpish but not hassled, thank you very much. If you really must race me then do so by the rules of the road or, eventually, I may be forced to give you a good kicking.