Not that I am religious but what with this weather I read Exodus 14!

It's the bit where Moses parts the sea. I was looking for inspiration last night as I decided whether to ride with the bunch last night or should I say sail!

Why you may well ask have I become religious all of a sudden, well you might have read that scientists have recently surmised that the account in the Book of Exodus which describes how the waters of the sea parted, allowing the Israelites to flee their Egyptian pursuers could actually have happened.  Granted the simulations were carried by US scientists (whose nation say Armstrong walked on the moon - it's ok it wasn't you Lance or your brother, or even your Dad, another family and yes another family has the same name as you. Yip, no shit) and they show how the movement of wind could have opened up a land bridge at one location.  The results are published in the open-access journal Plos One if you are interested.

So as I was saying, what with the incessant rain we have had, I was reminded of this when deciding to ride.  I chose not to, but a few did and forever after they will be known as the "The Famous Five" or "The Wet Pant Gang" (play on the Red Hand Gang).  What the researchers showed was that a strong east wind, blowing overnight, could have pushed water back at a bend where an ancient river is believed to have merged with a coastal lagoon.  Jeez, why spend all that time and money when all they needed to do was ride with the bunch last night!

They could have observed that as the Famous Five became one the mythical force that is created from such unity parted the waves as the peleton sailed along oblivious to the driving rain.  United by the weather Lance, Pozzatto, Hushovd, young Crawford aka Nibali and Cooke all took equal turns through the front end of the ride.  The knowledge that only they had braved the elements gave a certain sense of achievement to the ride and a perverse pleasure, even if they did cut it short as Lance's hair gel was beginning to sting his eyes and Pozatto's tan was washing off.

For your madness and bravery we salute you.