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| Famous climb |
| Beautiful scenery |
| 13 hairpin turns |
| #32 toughest climb of Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur |
| #27 most elevation gain of Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur |
| #98 longest climb of French Alps |
| #66 average steepest climb of Briançon |
Col d'Izoard from Briançon is a climb in the region Briançon. It is 11.9 mi long and bridges 3865 ft of vertical ascent with an average gradient of 6.1%, resulting in a difficulty score of 854. The top of the ascent is located at 7746 ft above sea level. Climbfinder users shared 38 reviews of this climb and uploaded 89 photos.
Road names: Avenue du Col d'Izoard, D902
4.0 by TimondeHeldThis is an automatic translation, the original language is: Dutch.This is a beautiful climb. First warm up along the houses, then quickly into beautiful valley. Waterfalls passing by and a nice gradient. In the forest (last 7km) the hairpins start and it gets harder but not less beautiful. And the view at the top is great.... read more
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The legend of legends.
The climb up to cervieres isn't very hard. Not very beautiful either.
Then it's rougher and much prettier in the forest. The flattened bends make for a nice recovery, but beware'it's long.
The highlight of the show is the start of the descent on the Queyras side and the passage through the deserted hut with its sumptuous scenery.
La légendes des légendes.
La montée n'est pas très dur jusqu'a cervieres. Pas tres belle non plus.
Ensuite c'est plus brutal et beaucoup plus joli dans la foret. Les virages applatis permettent de belle relance mais attention c'est long.
Le clou du spectable sera le début de la descnte coté queyras et le passage par la case déserte et son décor sompteux
Very nice climb and never too difficult. It is divided into two parts, the first up to Cervieres is around 6%, then after that it stabilizes around 8% with a few hundred meters around 10. It is a climb very much in the sun, so it is better not to do it late. Nice finish, pity the closed bar. Descent very very nice, relaxing. Very good road surface, very little traffic, if it were not for the bikes.
Salita molto bella e mai troppo difficile. Si divide in due parti, la prima fino a Cervieres è intorno al 6%, poi dopo si stabilizza intorno all'8% con qualche centinaia di metri intorno al 10. È una salita molto sotto al sole, pertanto conviene non farla tardi. Arrivo bello, peccato il bar chiuso. Discesa molto molto bella, rilassante. Manto stradale molto buono, traffico scarso, se non fosse per le moto.
I climbed at the end of April, with a lot of snow still on the ground from 2100 m, and it was impossible to go any further. The road was quiet as it was closed from Laus. The descent is fast and not very technical.
Montée faite fin avril avec de la neige encore présente en masse à partir de 2100 m et impossible d'aller plus loin. La route etait calme vu qu'elle etait fermée a partir de Laus. La descente est rapide et peu technique.
Setting off from Prelles for a 100 km outing, the Izoard was the first difficulty, a long but steady climb with beautiful scenery.
Partie depuis Prelles pour une sortie de 100 km, l’Izoard était la première difficulté, une montée longue mais régulière avec de très beau paysages
Starting in Briançon at 1238 meters above sea level, the first part of this climb proves to be rideable, (the first 2 km or so are at 6％ and the remaining 3 are practically flat). It then continues for another 5 km or so to the village of Cervières with gradients between 3 and 7.5％. From this point on the climb becomes more challenging and the 2 km to Le Laus are at an average of about 9％. (Last water fountain for refilling water). From here begin the last 7 km climb to the pass with gradients between 7.5 and 9％ through the Cervières forest on a wide road with room for cyclists on the right. The Refuge Napoleon is reached and from this point there are now only 2 km to the summit located at 2361 meters where a nice photo at the obelisk is more than deserved.
Si parte da Briançon a 1238 metri di altitudine, la prima parte di questa salita si rivela pedalabile, (i primi 2 km circa sono al 6％ e i restanti 3 sono praticamente pianeggianti). Si prosegue poi per altri 5 km circa sino all’abitato di Cervières con pendenze comprese tra il 3 ed il 7,5％. Da questo punto in poi la salita si fa più impegnativa e i 2 km che portano a Le Laus sono ad una media del 9％ circa. (Ultima fontanella per rifornimento acqua). Da qui iniziano gli ultimi 7 km di salita al colle con pendenze tra il 7,5 e il 9％ attraverso la foresta di Cervières su strada ampia e spazio per i ciclisti sulla destra. Si raggiunge il Refuge Napoleon e da questo punto mancano ormai solo 2 km alla vetta posta a 2361 metri dove una bella foto all’obelisco è più che meritata.
A beautiful but not a climb I will remember forever. A large (second) part of the climb is through the forest. At the top, the view is nice but not epic like on the Galibier or Iseran.
The descent is very nice though with the rock formations that so characterize the Izoard.
Een mooie maar geen klim die ik me eeuwig zal herinneren. Een groot (tweede) deel van de klim gaat door het bos. Op de top is het uitzicht mooi maar niet episch zoals op de Galibier of Iseran.
De afdaling is wel erg mooi met de rotspartijen die de Izoard zo kenmerken.
The 4th TDF climb we've done with the kids. Loved it. The cycle path / strip all the way up made us feel really safe on the ascent. The 1st 10k leads you into a false sense of security the 2nd 10k is brutal.
Long climb, but for the whole of the initial part it is not really a question of pushing. After this section it climbs fairly smoothly into the forest. Absolutely positive that there is a section for cyclists on the right-hand side of the roadway with well-marked hatching. On the other hand, the experience is very bad with the amount of flies that haunt you throughout this uphill section in the forest. Further up, in the Napoleon refuge area at an altitude of 2100, the trees completely thin out and the light wind finally frees you from the nagging. I did not see any fountains along the road except for one at the beginning of the village of Cervieres (on the square) with a clear indication of "uncontrolled water" I drank it and had no problems. The panorama is stupendous. I recommend a short descent on the opposite side at least as far as the plaque dedicated to Coppi and Bobet 2km later at the pass. Lunar and spectacular scenery.
Salita lunga ma per tutta la parte iniziale non si tratta davvero di spingere. Superata questo tratto sale abbastanza regolare dentro il bosco. Assolutamente positivo che ci sia una sezione dedicata ai ciclisti sul lato destro della carreggiata con tratteggio bene indicato. Invece pessima l'esperienza con la quantità di mosche che ti perseguitano per tutto questo tratto di salita nel bosco. Più in cima, in zona rifugio di Napoleone a quota 2100 si diradano completamente gli alberi ed il leggero vento ti libera finalmente dall'assillo. Non ho visto fontane per la strada se non una fonte all'inizio dell'abitato di Cervieres (sul piazzale) con chiara indicazione di "acqua non controllata" io l'ho bevuta e non ho avuto problemi. Stupendo il panorama. Consiglio una breve discesa sul lato opposto almeno fino alla targa con dedica a Coppi e Bobet 2km dopo al valico. Paesaggio lunare e spettacolare.
Really nice climb, you'll be rewarded for your efforts with absolutely stunning view. The tarmac is very good. It's starts from briancon trough the outset off the city, but quit fast it start to feel a bit like a swiss climb with an open space. In the forest you'll get hairpins, flat and spacious. Then after the forest you'll be able to see the amazing peak. Better than the other side in my opinion.
The somewhat easier northern ascent to the Izoard. The landscape is completely different to the south side, which is why it is worth climbing the Izoard from both sides. There is a cycle lane and the traffic is moderate.
Der etwas leichtere Nordanstieg zum Izoard. Landschaftlich komplett anders als die Südseite, weshalb es lohnend ist, den Izoard von beiden Seiten zu erklimmen. Es gibt eine Fahrradspur und der Verkehr ist Mittel.
For such a famous climb, I was slightly disappointed. Sure, the scenery is good, the climb long and moderately steep, but at no point was it truly epic, especially in the context of some of the nearby climbs like the Granon, Galibier and Agnel. I think the other face is much better, even though this side is a little harder and longer. As a result I couldn’t give it the full 5 stars; it’s nice but bit in the top tier for the area.
Wonderful climb, apart from the cloud of flies that accompanied me for a while... no use chasing them away, you have to let them buzz around. Up to Cervieres you pedal nimbly, then it starts to drag all the way to the top. Coming out of the forest the view is fantastic, but this happens in the last 2 km or so. There is a drinking fountain on the route in the car park of the "perito cerf" in Cervieres (maybe there are others, but I personally have not seen them). At the top there is a toilet and the possibility of a small refreshment stop. Always good asphalt and often a dedicated bike lane.
Salita meravigliosa, a parte la nuvola di mosche che mi ha accompagnato per un po'.. inutile scacciarle, le devi lasciar ronzare. Fino a Cervieres si pedala in maniera agile, poi inizia a tirare fino in cima. Usciti dal bosco la vista è fantastica, ma questo accade negli ultimi 2 km circa. Una fontanella sul percorso nel parcheggio del "perito cerf" a Cervieres (magari ce ne sono altre, ma personalmente non le ho viste). In cima wc e possibilità di un piccolo ristoro. Asfalto sempre buono e spesso corsia dedicata alla bici.
A very pleasant climb with beautiful views all along the way.
Montée très sympathique avec une belle vue sur tout le long du parcours.
This was wonderful with one exception. The flies in the woods led me to some impromptu threshold.
Beautiful, wooded ascent. The really spectacular views only come after 2000 metres altitude (as is often the case...) I don't know if it's always like this, but I had little traffic. The condition of the road is good. However, the weather was terrible. I denounce that....
Schöner, waldreicher Aufstieg. Die wirklich spektakulären Aussichten kommen erst jenseits der 2000 Höhenmeter (wie do oft...) Ob es immer so ist weiß ich nicht aber ich hatte wenig Verkehr. Zustand der Straße ist gut. Allerdings war das Wetter unter aller Sau. Das prangere ich an....
A real treat, especially after Cervières. Some very nice hairpins and a finish with a beautiful view of the Querays!
Un régal, surtout après Cervières. De très belles épingles et une arrivée avec une belle vue sur le Querays!
Beautiful climb. Beautiful views and hairpin bends. ％ do cheat a bit
Prachtige klim. Mooie uitzichten en haarspeldbochten. ％ bedriegen wel wat
Hele mooi klim, maar wel benauwd op de zomerse dag dat ik hem deed. Zeker in het beboste deel snakte ik naar adem. De top is wel kaal, en daar voel je de zon 's middags in de zomer behoorlijk branden! Bij het monument wat mooie foto's genomen, en vervolgens een soepele afdaling gedaan. Het wegdek leent zich voor mooie vlotte afdalingen. Aan het begin bij de top, is het met afdalen wel wat uitkijken met grind, maar daarna is het voluit genieten.
Nice climb. Doable up to the village of Cervieres. This is also where the nice views start. Unfortunately still the last 10 km a lot of forest. Nice for a hot day but impedes the views.
Mooie beklimming. Goed te doen tot in het dorpje Cervieres. Hier beginnen ook het mooie vergezichten. Helaas toch de laatste 10 km veel bos. Leuk voor een warme dag maar belemmering voor het uitzicht.
A beautiful ascent, up to Cervières quite gentle, then no discounts all the way to the top. Long stretch in the forest, then the views open up. The Casse Deserte on the other side is more atmospheric, but this side is also worth it.
Una bellissima salita, fino a Cervières abbastanza dolce, poi non fa sconti fino in cima. Lungo tratto nella foresta, poi i panorami si aprono. La Casse Deserte dell'altro versante è più suggestiva ma anche da questo lato merita.
Nice climb, nice views with gooey roads. Percentages do cheat with sharp and steep hairpins. Definitely recommended
Mooie klim, mooie uitzichten met goeie wegen. Percentages bedriegen wel met scherpe en steile haarspeldbochten. Zeker een aanrader
Absolutely gorgeous with good pavement. Starts out a little rough leaving town but in July, there was still very light traffic and no trucks or campers. No bits that really bite into you. I had a very strange thing happen to me though..the last 5ks I was swarmed by hundreds of flies and I had to wave my hands around for the last 5K, which was extremely annoying. Id showered and my kit was clean so, I dunno. :(
Super nice climb. Very pleasant ride up through the forrest and very nice views.
A climb that turned out much easier than expected: apart from the first few hundred metres, the section through the valley is really not steep, and the second part feels much less steep than it actually is. Much easier, and slightly less beautiful than the south face.
Een klim die veel makkelijker uitviel als gedacht: op de eerste honderden meters na is het stuk door de vallei echt niet steil, en het tweede deel voelt veel minder steil aan dan het eigenlijk is. Veel makkelijker, en iets minder mooi dan de zuidzijde.
Very enjoyable climb and nice sweet spot of length and elevation. Especially liked the hairpins near the end. Very busy road at times, lots of motorbikes, but no close passes thankfully. Possible to get respite during climb but hardest part near the end. Great views on top and a place for drinks and souvenirs too
Up to Cervieres you can really drive up here on the big plateau unfortunately you don't have many views in this part but they are saved up for the steeper part once you're past Cervieres the road goes up almost constantly at 8％ with hairpin bends and from the moment you're above 2000 m you get really great views although the views on the other side of the mountain in the descent are a step higher
Tot in cervieres kan je hier echt wel op de grote plateau naar boven rijden jammer genoeg heb je in dit deel niet zo veel uitzichten maar die worden opgespaard voor het steilere stuk een keer je voorbij cervieres bent gaat de weg bijna constant aan 8％ omhoog met haarspeldbochten en vanaf je boven de 2000 m zit krijg je echt prachtige uitzichten al zijn de uitzichten aan de andere kant van de berg in de afdaling wel nog een trapje hoger
Great climb! Did it yesterday with my girlfriend.
However the PROFILE on this website DOES NOT MATCH the signs next to the road. Which are something like shown on this local Brianconnais website: https://www.brianconnais.info/activites/velo/col-izoard-depuis-briancon/
We continued to the Agnel and then back up the Izoard from Ville-Vieille. Both sides are definitely worth climbing. The side from Ville-Vieille having much more impressive views on the valley and rocks.
A mythical climb that is a must. The pass was still closed to traffic. You have to navigate between the rocks. Only the snow barrier deprived me of the last km. But to be alone up there without any engine noise, passing only 4 other cyclists, is grandiose. The scenery is obviously magnificent.
Ascension mythique à faire absolument. Le col était encore fermé à la circulation. Il faut naviguer entre les pierres. Seule la barrière de la neige m'a privé du dernier km. Mais être seul là haut sans aucun bruit de moteur, en ne croisant que 4 autres cyclistes, c'est grandiose. Paysages évidemment magnifiques.
As a foretaste for l'etape du Tour, I cycled over the Izoard. It climbs steeply at the beginning, but afterwards you can catch your breath when the road flattens out and even goes down for a while. After that, a steady climb of around 7％. There are a few peaks and then it gets milder again.
Actually, if prepared for it, very doable and not a killer at all. On top, nice view towards Italy.
The descent is less pleasant. Often little visibility and many motorbikes who, like you, go to extremes.
Als voorproefje voor l'etape du Tour, ingefietst over de Izoard. Begin klimt flink, maar erna kan je goed op adem komen als de weg afvlakt en zelfs even weer afloopt. Erna gestaag omhoog rond de 7％. Even wat uitschieters om erna weer wat milder te worden.
Eigenlijk mits voorbereid uitstekend te doen en beslist geen killer. Bovenop mooi zicht richting Italië.
Afdaling minder fijn. Vaak weinig zicht en veel motoren die net als jij tot het uiterste gaan.
This is a beautiful climb. First warm up along the houses, then quickly into beautiful valley. Waterfalls passing by and a nice gradient. In the forest (last 7km) the hairpins start and it gets harder but not less beautiful. And the view at the top is great.
Dit is een prachtige klim. Eerst even opwarmen langs de huizen, dan snel in mooie vallei. Watervallen langs je en mooi lopend hellingspercentage. In het bos (laatste 7km) beginnen de haarspeldbochten en wordt het lastiger maar zeker niet minder mooi. En het uitzicht op de top is geweldig.
From Briancon 24 July 2019 we did this climb. From Briancon a bit of a tough start with some more traffic. Then a nice run up to the last 10 kilometers which are a bit steeper, but still doable.
Not much traffic on the climb and a good road surface. Recommended to take if you're in the area!
Vanuit Briancon 24 juli 2019 deze beklimming gedaan. Vanuit Briancon meteen even een pittig begin met wat meer verkeer. Daarna een mooie aanloop naar de laatste 10 kilometer die wat steiler, maar toch wel goed te doen zijn.
Op de klim verder vrij weinig verkeer en een prima wegdek. Aanrader om mee te pikken als je in de buurt bent!
To avoid the sometimes busy traffic I cycled this iconic Tour climb in the early morning.
As described, a firm start, followed by a plateau section with even a slight descent and from Cervières, after a long straight section, the festival of hairpin bends starts through the forest to get above 2000m (tree line).
The last kilometer, after passing the rèfuge Napoleon, to the summit are wonderfully twisted.
The top is a beautiful pass in the middle of a desolate mountain landscape, with a memorial column for the road workers who made this possible.
Remarkable and quite unique is that during the entire climb uphill a bicycle lane is marked with dotted lines along the road side. There's well known info signs every kilometer, although some of them have disappeared.
This climb is a bit less tough and spectacular than the other side but absolutely worthwhile to cycle on (if only for the bicycle lane) !!!!
Om het soms wel drukke verkeer te vermijden heb deze iconische Tourbeklimming gefietst in de vroege ochtend.
Zoals beschreven stevige start, gevolgd door plateau tussendeel met zelfs lichte afdaling en vanaf Cervières begint na lang recht stuk het haarspeldbochtenfestival door het woud om boven de 2000m (boomgrens) uit te komen.
De laatste kilometer, na het voorbijfietsen van de rèfuge Napoleon, tot de top zijn wondermooi draaiend aangelegd.
Top is prachtige pasovergang te midden een desolaat berglandschap,met gedenkzuil voor de wegenarbeiders die dit verwezenlijkten.
Opmerkelijk en vrij uniek is dat gedurende de hele klim bergop met stippellijnen een fietsstrook is aangeduid langs de wegkant. Bekende infobordjes zijn er ook elke kilometer alhoewel er enkele verdwenen waren.
Deze klim is iets minder zwaar en spectaculair dan de andere zijde doch absoluut de moeite waard om op te fietsen (al is het maar voor de fietsstrook) !!!!
Very pleasant climb from Briançon. We warm up quietly until Cervières and then the serious stuff starts. We first wind under the vegetation before the more alpine exit.
It's well worth the effort to descend 1 or 2km on the other side to see the legendary deserted casse.
Water at Cervières and Le Laus, delicious and hearty pies at Refuge Napoleon, not to be missed!
In July-August prefer a cool climb to avoid traffic (motorbikes).
Montée très agréable depuis Briançon. On s’échauffe tranquillement jusqu’à Cervières et ensuite les choses sérieuses commence. On serpente d'abord sous le végétation avant la sortie plus alpine.
En a/r cela vaut vraiment le coup de descendre 1 ou 2km de l'autre coté pour observer la légendaire casse déserte.
Point d'eau a Cervières et au Laus, délicieuses et très copieuses tartes au Refuge Napoléon , a ne pas rater !
En Juillet-Août préférez une montée a la fraîche pour éviter la circulation (motos).
Nice climb, starts quietly along the mountain edge, once you drive through the villages and into the forest is hee suffered from flies. But once you get out of the forest the view is fantastic. My wife thinks it is the best climb she has done so far.
Lekkere klim, begint rustig langs de berg rand, zodra je de dorpjes door rijd en in het bos komt wel hee veel last van vliegen gehad. Maar zodra je het bos uit rijd is het uitzicht fantastisch. Mijn vrouw vind het de mooiste beklimming die ze tot nu toe heeft gedaan.
A nice climb and the cake was very tasty!
Een mooie klim en de taart was heel erg lekker!
A very good climb to warm up the legs for the other cols in the area.The road surface is crumbling for the first few kilometres, but when the real climbing starts with the hairpin bends, the deck is fine. 2/7/2019
Een zeer goeie klim om de benen op te warmen voor de andere cols in de buurt.Het wegfek is aan het verbrokkelen dr eerste nege kilometers,maar als het echte klimmen begiint met de haar aald bochten ,is het dek prima. 2/7/2019
Very nice ride from Briançon! Quiet and not too long and too heavy is really enjoyable. Also a very beautiful landscape.
Zeer leuke rit vanuit Briançon ! Rustig en niet te lang en te zwaar is echt genieten. Ook een heel mooi landschap.
Good to drive mountain. Along the entire way up there is a bicycle path. This is necessary because the motorcycles can hit you around the ears. It is clear that this is the least favorite side. Hardly any cyclist coming up. Many downhill, probably because the other side is included in the boucle d'izoard. Personally, I didn't like the part before Cervieres. Above, when you enter the forest with the hairpin bends it is beautiful. After the forest you are treated to a beautiful moonscape. Until Cervieres not so steep indeed but after that I have seen the double digits a few times. I also had bad luck with the wind. It was pretty strong and on the head.
Goed te rijden berg. Langs de complete weg omhoog ligt er een fietspad. Ook wel nodig want de motoren kunnen je om de oren razen. Wel duidelijk dat dit de minst favoriete kants is. Bijna geen fietser omhoog zien komen. Wel veel naar benden, zal wel komen doordat de andere kant in de boucle d'izoard is opgenomen. Persoonlijk vond ik het gedeelte voor Cervieres niet zo mooi. Daarboven, als je in het bos komt met de haarspeldbochten is het prachtig. Na het bos wordt je getrakteerd op een mooi maanlandschap. Tot cervieres idd niet zo stijl maar daarna heb ik toch een paar keer de dubbele cijfers gezien. Ook pech gehad met de wind. Deze stond aardig aan en op kop.
| 5 mph | 02:24:05 |
| 7 mph | 01:42:00 |
| 9 mph | 01:19:29 |
| 12 mph | 00:59:43 |
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