First bike

Completed my first triathlon this weekend on a borrowed mountain bike. My time in every event sucked, but i finished and after the initial soreness subsided, realized that I wanted to do it again. Ready to make the investment for an entry level road bike to participate in future events. Visited a couple of LBSs and had someone at the last store spend quite a bit of time with me discussing features, options, etc. Based on budget and what I plan to do with the bike, the recommendation was a Specialized Allez 54cm. Any opinions on this recommendation? My budget for the bike is less than $800 and this one comes in at $760 with complementary tune ups and adjustments for the first year. They do have a used Specialized 54cm road bike that is on the level of a Secteur (it may even be a Secteur) that appears to be in okay condition for $400 (maybe $350). It doesn't have clip pedals, but the kind with the straps, which I guess would be a slight improvement over the plain pedals that come on the starter level bikes. Tuneups and adjustments wouldn't be complementary on the used bike. Those are approximately $65.

Opinions? I like the idea of new, but I could get the used bike plus some accessories and still be substantially less than the price of the new bike alone.

Also, what accessories would be must haves right away? I'm thinking a decent pair of padded cycling shorts are about it until I get the feel of either bike and comfortable with it.