This is the best crit advice you are ever going to receive. I know this because it is my advice and I am a cycling God. OK, I was a cycling God. OK, I used to race and did pretty well sometimes and mostly in crit's. Plus I coached. So here you go... 1. Get to the race early and watch earlier races come through each corner a few times. Is the turn bumpy, off camber, have a grate or pothole to avoid? Make note of where you'd like to be, if possible, through the turns. 2. Get your a$$ in the front row for the start. This is entirely mental. Get rid of the "Well, I shouldn't be there" mentality. Being in the front row affords you with the chance to get off the line cleanly. If it goes from the gun super-hard, have a buffer of several riders to come around you as you get up to speed. This is far better than needing to move up from the second the gun sounds. 3. Start the race with your a$$ in the saddle. Then you can smoothly clip in because you have two points of contact (one foot and your butt) rather than just one. Should you miss the clip, you can readily keep pedaling and have vastly more control if you are already seated. I've found these three points to be the most overlooked yet most beneficial to a fast, efficient, and safe start in a crit. Good luck out there. I'll be cheering with a beer in hand!