Cailie Currin, right, lifts her bike into the air alongside other participants infront of the Yorktown Victory Monument, the eastern terminus of the TransAmerica route. The route was designed in 1976 by pioneer cyclists beginning in Florence, Oregon and ending in Yorktown, Virginia. (Billy Schuerman/The Virginian-Pilot)

YORKTOWN — It was a gloomy Wednesday afternoon in Yorktown as a group of 20 women cycled to the end of a cross-country journey.

The feeling of relief was almost palpable as the cyclists rounded the corner onto Main Street and caught sight of the finish line that signified the end of their long journey. As the tired women trickled in, a handful of family members stood by with balloons and signs, cheering as the women came to a stop in front of the Yorktown Victory Monument.

“You did it!” echoed across the lawn as the women disembarked their bikes and gathered to slap hands and bump fists in congratulations. Glasses of champagne and cookies adorned with Nutella and raspberries were passed out to the participants as they gathered under the monument for photo ops.

For many of the cyclists, this happy moment was years in the making.

Cyclists with WomanTours ride the Colonial Parkway en route to their final destination in Yorktown. Twenty cyclists participated in the ride for varying lengths, with seven completing the entire 4,550-mile journey. The final section was 841 miles from Lexington, Kentucky to Yorktown. (Billy Schuerman/The Virginian-Pilot)

WomanTours’ TransAmerica bike tour began in 2018 on the other side of the country.

The trip was separated into four sections, which saw the participants travel from Florence, Oregon, to Yellowstone National Park; from Yellowstone to Wichita, Kansas; from Wichita to Lexington, Kentucky; and finally from Lexington to Yorktown. Each section lasted about 3-4 weeks each, with the women returning home during the intervening months to rest up before the next leg began.

Seven of the 20 participants who finished in Yorktown on Wednesday took part in all four sections, covering 4,550 miles and climbing more than 200,000 feet. The intention was to do one section per year, but the trip went on an extended hiatus when the COVID pandemic hit.

One woman who finished all four legs of the journey was Gail Vanderlee from Midland, Texas, who admitted that it wasn’t exactly an easy feat to accomplish.

“It was a hard journey,” she said. “It was definitely not a vacation.”

But all of that difficulty — pedaling through the extreme conditions, up and down the sides of mountains, and even through packs of stray dogs in the rural Kentucky countryside — has added up to a major sense of satisfaction now that the trip is over.

“It’s good to finish,” Vanderlee said. “I’m older and I feel it, but I’m glad I did it.”

Deborah Carlson rides past the Bruton Parish Episcopal Church in Colonial Williamsburg. The group took a small detour on their ride to see the historic buildings. The final day of riding was 63 miles from Hopewell to Yorktown. (Billy Schuerman/The Virginian-Pilot)

During the weeks of cycling, the women traveled 60-70 miles per day, stopping each night at accommodations like Comfort Inns and Travelodges before waking up and doing it all over again in the morning. Support staff traveled alongside the cyclists with a van, hauling luggage, water and snacks and a trailer with a two-burner stove to provide meals along the way.

Beyond just the physical aspect, cycling is also a great way to truly get to a feel for the places you travel through, WomanTours guide Sue Lincoln said. WomanTours Inc., based in Rochester, New York, offers guided female-only bicycle tours throughout the world.

“You get a much better taste of the community, both literally and figuratively,” said Lincoln, who has been working for the company for 10 years.

Another one of the guides that participated in the trip is Cy Pugh, who has worked for WomanTours for about a decade.

“This tests the women, not just physically but mentally,” she said. “To get up (and cycle) when it’s cold and rainy, that shows fortitude.”

Although it’s a test of strength and willpower, it’s not “about just racing to the next destination,” Pugh added.

“The tours are about camaraderie and connection,” she said. “Lifelong friendships are made during these rides.”

All of the women who participated in the cross-country journey are between the ages of 60-75 — something that is helping “break stereotypes” about older women, Pugh said.

Among the participants was New Zealander Dyanna Benny, who traveled from her home in Sydney, Australia, to take part in the trip, which has helped her “keep going and fit,” she said.

Benny, 71, participated in the first and second sections of the trip, but was unable to participate in the third leg due to the closed borders during COVID. Her favorite part of the journey was seeing the diverse landscapes in the western part of the country, as well as all of the wonderful support — and wonderful food — provided by the staff.

Marianne Mason crosses the finish line in Yorktown to conclude the final leg of the journey. Riders rode at their own pace throughout the day before meeting at the same locations at the end. (Billy Schuerman/The Virginian-Pilot)

Another participant, Marianne Mason, was greeted by her husband, Jeff Mason, as she cycled in wearing a bright pink tutu. The Masons, who have been married nearly 30 years, live in Olympia, Washington, and Jeff Mason flew in especially to watch as his wife pedaled to the end of the journey.

Stella Ugboma from Grand Rapids, Michigan, was the first to sail over the finish line on Wednesday, and was greeted by a round of applause from the handful of bystanders waiting for the finishers.

“The whole ride was awesome,” said Ugboma, who rode along for two of the trip’s four sections. “I loved every little bit of it.”

Seventy-five-year-old Marilyn Hutchinson, another participant who cycled all four sections, started doing bike tours when she was 65 after a knee surgery left her unable to keep skiing.

“It feels awesome (to finish),” she said.

After the trip was over, the women planned to spend one last night in Newport News and grab a celebratory dinner before they all made their way home and back to their everyday lives. But after hundreds — or thousands — of miles and weeks and weeks on the road, they knew they’d have a memory to last the rest of their lives.

Sian Wilkerson, sian.wilkerson@pilotonline.com, 757-342-6616