FLvector

You missed the whole point the OP was trying to make. He was doing a Zone 2 ride, which means he was going relatively slow to keep HR and power down. He suddenly realized someone latched on his wheel and didn't know how long they were there. If he had hit the brakes to avoid a squirrel or another object without knowing they were there, they'd likely both go down. You are poorly mistaken to think its only the rider in the back that goes down. Maybe when they tag your wheel, but not when you brake and they run into you.

This could have easily been avoided if the rider behind would have announced himself and the OP probably would have been fine with him staying there. This changes the dynamics of the ride. If the OP didn't want him there he could have sat up/slowed down, but since he was in stealth mode, he didn't realize he was there. It happens. For those that don't understand the problem with the common courtesy of announcing for the sake of safety, I'd guess they've never tasted the pavement and dealt with the resulting injuries.