PIR Bike Race Last One of the Year

Tuesday I went to PIR for the last bike race of the year there. They run every Monday and Tuesday from April to late August. I did one Tuesday race each month this year and one Monday race last week. Got there just before they lined up, so no warm up time. The guy said we were only doing 5 laps since there were only 11 of us. So off we went and I stayed up 1 or 2 from the back as we formed one snaking line. After the 2nd lap one guy broke away and took off, nobody went after him. I stayed with the group easily and on the 5th lap I was moving up and ended up front leading the group through part of a straightaway and two curves straight into a strong wind. That was the first time in my life I've been at the front of a peloton! The group passed me and I was at the back, but at the last curve and into the home straightaway I kicked it out and was in front by myself, but nobody was chasing. I looked at my speedometer and it said almost 10 miles- 5 laps. So I zoomed along in the lead and crossed the line going 30, but then they rang the 1 lap bell. We were doing our standard 6 laps, the guy had lied. Unfortunately I had expended a lot of energy and as the group swallowed me up, my legs hurt. But it was now officially the last lap so I stayed close and hung onto the group and at the last turn and onto the home stretch I kicked it out for real- shoot too soon. But for about 150 yards I was in the lead of a bike race with the finish line in sight. Looked down and I was doing 31.5, but I had gone too soon and started to flag and at 30.5 the group zoomed by and it took all I had to maintain 30 and stay on the back of the group to finish 10th out of 11. I now know what being in front feels like though!! Stats- 12 miles with an average of 24.2 MPH and 10th out of 11. Afterwards I noticed some people up in the flagger's tower so I climbed up and took a couple of pictures.