1) I bet if you actually measured the drop on some of the bikes, its more than it might appear.
2) You don't want a super aggressive position for 19 days of 100 mile plus rides. A little more upright is lot more comfortable rolling along in the group, and you bend your elbows when you need to be low.
__________________
You could fall off a cliff and die.
You could get lost and die.
You could hit a tree and die.
OR YOU COULD STAY HOME AND FALL OFF THE COUCH AND DIE.