Katherine Willoughby, from Alton Pancras, rode 60 miles a day for 60 days to mark her 60th birthday and to raise funds for Macmillan Cancer Support.
She completed the challenge in memory of her late brother-in-law, Les Young, who received support from the charity during his battle with cancer.
Mrs Willoughby said: “Life does get difficult when you get older but I wanted to keep motivating myself,”
“You get to the menopause and it gets difficult.
“I thought this is my time to really push myself and challenge myself.”
The journey began on May 7 in northern France, following what she described as a “wiggly piggly” route through scenic villages, finishing in the Champagne region.
She was supported by her wife Deb and their dog, who travelled alongside her in a motorhome.
Mrs Willoughby finished her ride in Champagne (Image: Supplied)
Part of her motivation was the prospect of reaching Bordeaux in time to watch the England Women’s rugby team play.
Mrs Willoughby said: “I heard that the Red Roses were playing in Bordeaux on May 17 and thought that’s my motivation to get there and get some tickets for that.”
Despite being a regular cyclist, she admitted this was well beyond her previous experience.
She faced a range of tough conditions, including rain, strong winds and extreme heat reaching up to 41C.
There were moments of exhaustion, particularly at the halfway point.
She said: “There were low points though.
“When I got about halfway I thought I’ve got to do this all again.
“At one point I was so tired I couldn’t get my leg over the crossbar.”
So far, she has raised £750 for Macmillan Cancer Support and donations are still welcome.
Les Young (Image: Supplied)
She said: “Les was a larger than life character whom we miss everyday in our lives.
“Watching him struggle with cancer was one of the hardest things I’ve had to see.”
“It’s a horrible disease that hits so many of us and we were grateful of the support from Macmillan charity.”
You can still sponsor her at https://www.justgiving.com/page/katherine-willoughby-1