Remember that road racing is tactical, and the tactics may be verbal just as much as physical positioning. Eventually you will be accepted at the front. Now it's time to take on some of the world elite. These are the Class One UCI Calendar races, where eventually you hope to earn UCI points. This is the province of the Trade Teams and the National Squads.
Teamwork is essential.
Forget any thoughts of doing well in these races in a solo effort. Even if you manage it on your own in a flat race because you are wizzo at time-trialling back home, you will get a very severe drumming once the ground gets undulating, and you'll be killed off in any mountains. No-one should participate in these races without first having displayed their competence in the two lower levels. The one day races are extremely fast, and the tours very demanding indeed. The average speed of the Giro d'Italia this past season was almost 40 km per hour, and this of course included the mountain stages.