Tearing up the Geneva Convention. Friday Chain Gang

Eight of us tonight - spun along easy till Rye Harbour  where  Paul B needed a pitstop and said he would catch us up later.
We rolled on chatting until  a scooter cruised past us at the industrial estate -  tempted to chase I jumped after  him, caught his wheel and caught in the moment overtook him until we were out of sight of the others. Tiring from the effort  I dropped back and sat in for a while  - then I remembered we still had fifteen miles ahead of us  so I eased up and let scooter go. Soon the others rolled up and we waited for Paul B at Rye.
The usual chase up the Udimore Road - Malc, Ivan and Simon G set the pace uphill,  after doing a long fast turn Malc our strongest rider on the night asked me to come thru for a spell, I said OK, if you ease up and drop to the back,  chain gang style."  If we keep upping the pace with every turn then we'd be travelling at speed of sound by Brede, " I said  " I thought that was the general idea" said Malc, Team Sky's next torturer in training. Anyway I did a little turn then sat in some more only to break away  half a mile before the rest stop at Brede, "****!" to much righteous cursing from the diesel engines. Served me right to blow up half a mile from the halt where Malc and Ivan  caught and passed me " . . . when we caught you, we  sat on your wheel for a bit - just to make sure you were properly dead" they said.

John had punctured before Udimore  so Simon G and I went back a few miles  for him,  his tyre had a big tear in it and his spare tube had failed so we gave him one of ours. On any club run,  especially at night at least one other rider should stop to lend a hand  when someone punctures,  to hold the torch, lend tools & spares.  Simon phoned the others who were waiting up the road  to let them know we were OK, they went on ahead, and the three of us set off.  Simon G was feeling strong and flew up Stonestile Lane like a rocket, leaving me forty yards adrift, I tried my best to catch him where the gradient eased but couldn't close the gap, all's fair in cycling and war.