Col d’Izoard from Arvieux (South side)
Distance: 13.35 km
Elevation Gain: 973 m
Elevation Loss: 22 m
Difficulty:
852 (Hard)
FIETS Index: 6.78 FIETS
Avg Grade: 7.13 %
Max cat climb: HC
Min elevation: 1409 m
Max elevation: 2360 m
Ride Category:
Epic Climb
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The Col d’Izoard, in the Hautes-Alpes of France, links the Queyras with Briançon, and its southern side is where the pass’s racing legends were made. In 1953 Louison Bobet attacked on the Vars and rode alone over the Izoard to win at Briançon, gaining more than 12 minutes on his rivals. He took the yellow jersey and went on to win the first of his three Tours. In 2017 the Tour finished on the summit for the first time, and Warren Barguil won the stage on his way to the mountains jersey.
This ride starts below Arvieux, in the Queyras regional park, and climbs through La Chalp and Brunissard, the last hamlet of the commune, into the forest. Above the trees lies the Casse Déserte, a slope of rock pinnacles formed when layers of limestone were crushed and later cemented again. Just beyond it, a memorial to Fausto Coppi and Bobet stands on a single rock. The ride ends at the summit.
