End of summertime audax

Met up with Jason, Brian and Josh at Ware College, then Graham and Pete at Hertford North en route to Stevenage Fairlands Valley Park for the End of Summertime audax - 60 miles to Saffron Walden and back. After a group photo on the start line we set off in Group F, and headed east out of Stevenage via Aston up to Bennington where I fell behind. I knew the roads through Dane End, the Mundons and Buntingford over one final hill to Hare Street and the first checkpoint. 15 miles in about an hour. We all set off together again for a fast and flatish section east to Clavering, Newport and up to Saffron Walden with a couple of nasty hills just before Saffron Walden where I slowed up again. We were still keeping good time, 30 miles in 2 hours. At the checkpoint we had our own snacks and had a brief stop. Section 3 over to Barkway, Reed and Therfield seemed to be all uphill for most of the 15 miles, so I struggled, running out of energy and not enjoying the drizzly weather. The guys waited for me at one tricky junction to make sure I didn't go the wrong way, but still left me standing on the next hill. At the cafe stop we had a proper break -tea, flapjack and chocolate cake and a 20 minute sit down which i really needed. Off we set again all together and I managed to keep up more or less as it was flatter and more downhill than the previous section. Graham and Josh pulled ahead and then Jason had a flat. After a two min rest, I cycled on alone, at Peter's suggestion and they caught me in Weston a few miles down the road. I followed the group back into the maze that is the Stevenage cycle paths back to Fairlands Valley Park arriving at 15:43 - 5 hours 20 mins for 60 miles plus stops. Graham and Josh were waiting in the cafe, both looking a bit cold, and wanting to go home, so a brief stop - bottle of coke - adn we all set off for home via Watton and Hertford. We rode pretty fast in a line (ave 17 mph) along the smooth fast roads, dropping Peter at Hertford north. I peeled off at Chadwell in Ware and walked up Middleton road back home.
Photos from Stevenage CTC - I am on picture 063