The As tend to go nuts on the first bump on the Epics.
I have found in the past that B races can be more fierce than A
I wouldn't say they went nuts on this one. Probably because it's in the middle of the route - so there's a risk for a select group to be brought back on the downhill and flat by a larger pack, especially if there's heavier riders in it.
You're right about B competitiveness though. There's a bit more excitement to it too. When you're an A you just try to be at the front at all times; when you're a B it depends - if the As attack, do you go with them, do you hold back... I found it vital to watch and judge your opponents - how they ride, how they react, and assess what their plan and capabilities may be.
In this race, after the hill, there were only two other B's - so it was an easy job. They were two extremes though - one was desperately trying to break away and putting in an unnecessary effort, even in the blob. I assumed he's either very young and eager, inexperienced, or both - didn't worry about his sprint at all as I assumed he'll go too early or won't have energy left, or both. The other fella was conserving his effort - sticking to the back of the pack, drafting nicely, definitely an experienced rider. Unfortunately for him, I remembered him from the Volcano Epic race where he finished about 10-15 minutes behind me - so I knew he must be working much harder and probably won't have much left at the finish.
Come the finish - the conservative chap put in an effort that could hardly be described as a sprint. The inexperienced lad went early. Didn't really pay much attention to how the As sprinted - beating them all to the line was pure coincidence.
