Detour #157: Climb hard on the Col d'Izoard, France
Whichever direction you tackle this extraordinary alpine pass you’ll be following in the wheeltracks of legends.
That’s because the Col d’Izoard has long been a Hors Categorie climb on the Tour de France, which basically means it’s so steep that it’s beyond categorisation, and yet almost every year for more than a century people have propelled themselves up this 2,360 metre climb using pedal power alone.
The D902 from Briançon to Arvieux (or vice versa) is one of the toughest grinds in cycling and, when the road is open from late Spring to mid Autumn you’ll always find hoards of lycra-clad enthusiasts testing themselves against the mountain.
Thankfully the local authorities are wise to this and there are cycle lanes marked with dotted lines both up and down. The road is also remarkably smoothly surfaced for a mountain pass, but that’s one of the bonuses of being a part-time race track.
Starting in the north at Briançon the climb along the D902 is initially quite gradual, the landscape lush and green, with alpine pastures aplenty, fast and open sweeping bends with just a few tighter turns thrown in. As you climb the woods begin to close in before you find yourself cutting into the mountainside at Terre Rouge. Soon you’ll pass through the conurbation of Cervières and the incline begins to become more exaggerated and the corners a little more frequent.
It’s not until you’re beyond Le Laus the that switchbacks arrive, and when they do, they come with a vengeance. Soon you’ll be swinging from lock to lock as you steer through bend after bend, as the road loops up the mountain. There’s barely a straight worthy of a squirt of acceleration between here and the peak, so if you’re finding it hard going take a break at the Refuge Napoléon at 2,290m.
For the last push to the top you’re beyond the tree line in a more barren and windswept land. No wonder the local fans scrawl encouraging graffiti on the road to spur the drivers on. At the summit you’ll find a car park, a stone monument and not much else except the bitter wind.
Then it’s time to test your brakes for the descent and it’s another hair-raising set of hairpins all the way to La Draye. For the cyclists this is the easy bit, a chance to catch their breath, but in a car you’ll be focused on slowing sufficiently to navigate the succession of 180-degree corners.
Only on the final leg to Arvieux is the road anything like straight again, allowing you to get your heart rate under control for the finish line.
