Cinderella has arrived

[jobob]

I didn't ride last year but am thinking of doing so this year. I always ride alone and now that I know about the pile-up last year, I shall stay even farther away from everyone.

The pile-up of which I speak was the first year I rode it, in 2004.
Not so much a pile up actually (implying a high-speed collision, which it most emphatically wasn't) -- more like a mass tip-over.

The trick is to stay alert, avoid riding in a big crowd, and not get too close to the people ahead of you.
And have an escape route.