If you're confident in your ability to finish within the time limit and don't care about your official time, roll through the start just after the official start time. Then you can avoid standing around in the cold and can draft people as you ride up through the pack. You'll also get to the sand pits after the crowds have cleared out. Stay focused though. Don't waste time eating pancakes. : ) You want to try to get past the place where the 30-milers join in before they start. A lot of them don't ride much so they're a little unpredictable.