A cold 32F and cloudless sky at start! I dressed with blue woolie, vest, and orange breaker jacket, gloves, and woollie socks. The face was a bit cool in the first few miles. Amazing to sense when the body heat generated by exercise starts to kick in and then I began to sweat. The sun felt great! 4 of us broke away at front, Mike G, Roger, ___ and myself. When we got to Pima I was way too warm and had to stop and take off the orange jacket and gloves. That of course dropped me from the other 3 and started the chase-back. Well, it really didn't turn into a chase-back until much later when I realized I was still sort of close. They were about 3 miles ahead on out-bound to EOP (met them when I had 1.5 mile to EOP). They had just left breakfast at Sears-Kay when I arrived there. Yet I took my time and chatted a bit with Mike S and Coco (his dog in training) and enjoyed his snacks of apple fritter and lemonade. Then coming out of Bartlett Lake, met them at about same 2 - 1 miles from the turn-around. So it was then that I decided to not stop at Bartlett but to head right back up the hill. I could tell me legs felt more complete as I did the climbs to-from Bartlett. More support from other muscles of the legs due to a week of leg-exercises off the bike. I need to get better at climbing if I am going to do 65k of climbing in VA in the summer! Did not stop in Cave Creek - just kept going! So no water stop. Over to 7th and headed north. Up where 7th turns to New River Rd, I saw a rider that I later identified as Roger, pulling onto the road about 0.2 mile ahead of me. I thought for sure I would catch him! I played the guessing, planning game, would they stop at the control at New River NO - but I was considering it for bathroom. Would they stop at the new gas station at Carefree Hwy/Lake Pleasant Rd - NO. I still sort of wanted a bathroom. Would they stop at park on West Wing - NO. At this point, I was trying to determine if I needed to stop for water. Since they did not stop, neither did I. yet still about 0.2 mile behind. It might yo-you a bit but about that much. Off on Jomax I finally got right behind him and realized it was Roger, at the stop light at the end of Jomax but the light changed and he was more prepared to take-off and again pulled out to about 0.2 mile lead. Would he stop at Deems - NO. Ok, this is getting to be a challenge. Along the way I fueled on a couple of bars. I believe I ate 4 bars in total. 3 that I brought and 1 from Mike's Sears-Kay stop that had later on ride. For most of these miles of chasing, I started to think that maybe I could get done by 5pm for an under 9 hour ride! So that was another motivating factor. So I kept chasing, even when head-math told me it was getting less likely to make with all the stop lights I was hitting after Deems. Came down to the turn onto Rose, and I was clearly less than 0.2 miles back, but he made the light at Cave Creek Rd and I did not,. So that ended my attempt at arriving before 5pm. Yet off I went to finish the last 2.5 miles. Turns out Roger arrived at 5:07 pm and I at 5:10pm. Sat at Subway with him and enjoyed a sandwich. Turns out he too was trying to get done by 5 which kept him motivated! LOL. I mentioned to him that only if we had worked together that both probably would have made it! Oh well. Mike G was just leaving the Subway with sandwich in hand when Roger arrived, per Roger, so I must have been close to him as well. As for the other lead rider, I am not sure. Another great day of cycling, yet chilly. Temps never got of the the 50's. Glad to be done before night as it chilly as soon as sun went away. Turns out I rode the whole ride with only the 1 water/snack stop at Mike's breakfast stop at Sears-Kay. I had stopped briefly earlier to take off jacket gloves. I stopped again at Bartlett Lake to take off the vest and get snacks out. That was all the stopping! I drank less than 2 bottles of water! UGHH. I felt ok, but maybe should have drank more?