I basically agree with ahsposo,

Since the OP asked what I would have done . . . I would have followed the route sheet and kept on trying to catch them; you just never know.

Sometimes a flat tire stops/delays them, sometimes a train, sometimes a dog attack. And sometimes the speed out of the start drops as the ride goes on. Worse case, you never catch them, but you still have a good ride on your own.

Regarding your comment about not being able to read the route sheet while riding, you should really work on this helpful skill. You say "on the recumbent" as a qualifier, still I'm not sure if you're okay with this on a DF, but not on a recumbent . . . or what?

Rick / OCRR