Found this great list for new comers to cycling racing and thought I would publish it here:

Sourced from: http://gtveloce.com/bike/index.html
  • Ride a bit more than usual before your first race, and push yourself a bit harder to gain some confidence
  • Then have a rest day before the race, or just a short, easy ride
  • Get into bunches and practice riding with a group
  • Eat well, keep fats to a minimum and eat plenty of carbs with fruit, rice and bread in the mix
  • Don't ride hard if you are sick or injured, or overweight (see your doctor for help there before starting any exercise program)
  • Remember the rule of thumb: train in a week 3 times the distance of your race - so a 30km criterium means you should do at least 90km in a week, and you need to do that at least for a month prior to build your base
  • Remember the other rule of thumb: you lose whatever you gained after 3 days, so don't leave it 3 days between rides
  • Get to the race early and warm up gently but firmly - end the warm up with a cool down and build up to a race gear, but don't over-do it
  • Don't cool off completely before the race
  • Register for the race and get your number ASAP, don't leave it to the last minute
  • Ride around if necessary to keep warm
  • Don't miss the start
  • Follow the experienced riders, listen to them and watch what they do
  • Within the limits of what you can do be prepared to dig deep and grit your teeth to "hang on"
  • Don't cross wheels with other riders, one swerve and you'll be down
  • Don't show off in your first race, just absorb and learn
  • Sit on "in the draft", conserve energy, don't fidget, don't surge, be smooth - momentum is everything
  • Stay close to and follow experienced wheels carefully, certainly not in a jerky, sudden or unpredictable way
  • Do a Turn when your turn comes, then pull off into the wind, allowing the next rider to shelter in your draft and easily come up to replace you
  • As you pull off do so gradually and slowly ease up, drifting to the back
  • If you feel comfortable ease back into the first 3rd of the bunch, otherwise go to the back again
  • Do what the others do, unless they are totally out of their minds!
  • Be there at the end
  • Have a go at the sprint but be realistic - don't get in the way.