Col d'Izoard

{{Short description|Mountain pass in the French Alps}}

{{Infobox mountain pass

| name = Col d'Izoard

| photo = Mémorial col de l'Izoard.jpg

| photo_caption = Memorial at the top of Col d'Izoard

| elevation_m = 2360

| elevation_ref = [http://www.geoportail.gouv.fr/accueil?c=6.735278,44.82&z=0.000316906&l=GEOGRAPHICALGRIDSYSTEMS.MAPS.3D$GEOPORTAIL:OGC:WMTS@aggregate(1)&permalink=yes IGN map]

| traversed = D902

| map = Alps

| map_caption = Location of Col d'Izoard

| map_size =

| label = Col d'Izoard

| coords = {{coord|44|49|11|N|06|44|06|E|type:pass_region:FR|format=dms|display=inline,title}}

| location = Hautes-Alpes, France

| range = Alps

| topo =

}}

Col d'Izoard ({{convert|2360|m|ft|0|abbr=on}}) is a mountain pass in the Alps in the department of Hautes-Alpes in France.

It is accessible in summer via the D902 road, connecting Briançon on the north and the valley of the Guil in Queyras, which ends at Guillestre in the south. There are forbidding and barren scree slopes with protruding pinnacles of weathered rock on the upper south side. Known as the Casse Déserte, this area has formed a dramatic backdrop to some key moments in the Tour de France and at times in the Giro d'Italia, and often featured in iconic 1950s black-and-white photos of the race.{{cite web|title=Col d'Izoard – 2360 metres|url=http://www.grenoblecycling.com/Col-Izoard.htm|publisher=Grenoble Cycling|accessdate=24 September 2013|archive-date=28 September 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130928162553/http://www.grenoblecycling.com/Col-Izoard.htm|url-status=dead}}[http://www.ulb.ac.be/di/ssd/ldoyen/e/izoard.html Université Libre de Bruxelles]

Cycle racing

=Details of the climb=

Image:Col d'Izoard - Altimetry of the climb.jpg

From the south, the climb starts at Guillestre from where it is {{convert|31.5|km|1|abbr=on}} in length, at an average gradient of 4.8%. The climb proper starts at the junction with the D947, near Chateau Queyras from where the ascent is {{convert|15.9|km|1|abbr=on}} long. Over this distance, the climb gains {{convert|1095|m|0|abbr=on}} at an average of 6.9% and a maximum sustained gradient of 10%.{{cite web|title=Col de l'Izoard: Guillestre|url=http://www.climbbybike.com/climb.asp?Col=Col-de-lIzoard&qryMountainID=6051 |publisher=www.climbbybike.com|accessdate=21 July 2014}}

The climb from Briançon, to the north-west, via Cervières to the col is {{convert|19|km|1|abbr=on}} in length, climbing {{convert|1105|m|0|abbr=on}} at an average gradient of 5.8% and a maximum gradient of 8.9%.{{cite web|title=Col de l'Izoard: Briançon |url=http://www.climbbybike.com/climb.asp?Col=Col-de-lIzoard&qryMountainID=6050 |publisher=www.climbbybike.com|accessdate=21 July 2014}}

On both sides mountain pass cycling milestones are placed every kilometre. They indicate the current height, the height of the summit, the distance to the summit, as well as the average slope in the following kilometre.

In general, the col is closed from October to early June.

=Tour de France=

The Col d'Izoard is frequently on the route of the Tour de France, where it is frequently classified as an Hors Categorie climb.{{cite web|title=Le col d'Izoard dans le Tour de France depuis 1947 |url=http://www.ledicodutour.com/cols/cols_i/izoard.html|publisher=ledicodutour|accessdate=24 July 2022 |language=French}}{{cite web|title=Complete list of crossings|url=http://www.memoire-du-cyclisme.eu/eta_tdf/izoard.php|work=Le Col d'Izoard|publisher=www.memoire-du-cyclisme.eu|accessdate=24 September 2013|archive-date=27 September 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130927203509/http://www.memoire-du-cyclisme.eu/eta_tdf/izoard.php|url-status=dead}} Warren Barguil won the 2017 Tour de France's Stage 18, becoming the first cyclist to win a Tour de France stage that finished on the Col d'Izoard – it has been on the route 34 times previously in the Tour de France since 1922 but never before had a stage finished there.{{cite web |url=https://www.bbc.com/sport/cycling/40667624|title=Tour de France 2017: Chris Froome in control, Warren Barguil wins stage 18|date=20 July 2017|website=BBC}}

Several of the Tour de France's more memorable moments have occurred on the Col d'Izoard, particularly the exploits of Gino Bartali, Fausto Coppi, Louison Bobet and Bernard Thévenet. A small cycling museum is at the summit, along with a memorial to Coppi and Bobet.

File:View from Col d'Izoard.jpg

Image:2014 Mountain pass cycling milestone - Col d'Izoard Guillestre.jpg placed along the climb from Guillestre]]

==Appearances in the Tour de France==

class="wikitable" style="text-align: center;"
Year

!Stage

!Category

!Start

!Finish

!Leader at the summit

2019

|18

| H

|Embrun

|Valloire

|align=left|{{Flagathlete|Damiano Caruso|ITA}}

2017

|18

| H

|Briançon

| Col d'Izoard

|align=left|{{Flagathlete|Warren Barguil|FRA}}

2014

|14

| H

|Grenoble

|Risoul

|align=left|{{Flagathlete|Joaquim Rodríguez|ESP}}

2011

|18

| H

| Pinerolo

| Galibier/Serre-Chevalier

|align=left|{{Flagathlete| Maxim Iglinsky |KAZ}}

2006

|15

| H

|Gap

|Alpe d'Huez

|align=left|{{Flagathlete|Stefano Garzelli |ITA}}

2003

| 9

| H

|Bourg-d'Oisans

|Gap

|align=left|{{Flagathlete|Aitor Garmendia |ESP}}

2000

| 14

| H

| Draguignan

| Briançon

|align=left|{{Flagathlete|Santiago Botero |COL}}

1993

| 11

| 1

| Serre-Chevalier

| Isola 2000

|align=left|{{Flagathlete|Claudio Chiappucci |ITA}}

1989

| 16

| H

|Gap

| Briançon

|align=left|{{Flagathlete|Pascal Richard |SUI}}

1986

| 17

| H

|Gap

| Serre-Chevalier

|align=left|{{Flagathlete| Eduardo Chozas |ESP}}

1976

| 10

| 1

| Bourg-d'Oisans

| Montgenèvre

|align=left|{{Flagathlete|Lucien Van Impe |BEL}}

1975

| 16

| 1

| Barcelonnette

| Serre-Chevalier

|align=left|{{Flagathlete|Bernard Thévenet |FRA}}

1973

| 8

| 1

| Moûtiers

| Les Orres

|align=left|{{Flagathlete|José Manuel Fuente |ESP}}

1972

| 13

| 1

| Orcières-Merlette

| Briançon

|align=left|{{Flagathlete| Eddy Merckx |BEL}}

1965

| 16

| 1

|Gap

| Briançon

|align=left|{{Flagathlete| Joaquim Galera |ESP}}

1962

| 18

| 1

| Antibes/Juan-les-Pins

| Briançon

|align=left|{{Flagathlete|Federico Bahamontes |ESP}}

1960

| 16

| 1

|Gap

| Briançon

|align=left|{{Flagathlete|Imerio Massignan |ITA}}

1958

| 20

| 1

|Gap

| Briançon

|align=left|{{Flagathlete|Federico Bahamontes |ESP}}

1956

| 17

| 1

|Gap

| Turin

|align=left|{{Flagathlete|Valentin Huot |FRA}}

1954

| 18

| 1

| Grenoble

| Briançon

|align=left|{{Flagathlete|Louison Bobet |FRA}}

1953

| 18

| 1

|Gap

| Briançon

|align=left|{{Flagathlete| Louison Bobet |FRA}}

1951

| 20

| 1

|Gap

| Briançon

|align=left|{{Flagathlete| Fausto Coppi |ITA}}

1950

| 18

| 1

|Gap

| Briançon

|align=left|{{Flagathlete|Louison Bobet |FRA}}

1949

| 16

| 1

| Cannes

| Briançon

|align=left|{{Flagathlete| Fausto Coppi |ITA}}

1948

| 13

| 1

| Cannes

| Briançon

|align=left|{{Flagathlete| Gino Bartali |ITA}}

1947

| 9

| 1

| Briançon

| Digne

|align=left|{{Flagathlete| Jean Robic |FRA}}

1939

| 15

|

| Digne

| Briançon

|align=left|{{Flagathlete|Sylvère Maes |BEL}}

1938

| 14

|

| Digne

| Briançon

|align=left|{{Flagathlete| Gino Bartali |ITA}}

1937

| 9

|

| Briançon

| Digne

|align=left|{{Flagathlete|Julian Berrendero |ESP}}

1936

| 9

|

| Briançon

| Digne

|align=left|{{Flagathlete| Sylvère Maes |BEL}}

1927

| 16

|

| Nice

| Briançon

|align=left|{{Flagathlete| Nicolas Frantz |LUX}}

1926

| 14

|

| Nice

| Briançon

|align=left|{{Flagathlete|Bartolomeo Aymo |ITA}}

1925

| 13

|

| Nice

| Briançon

|align=left|{{Flagathlete| Bartolomeo Aymo |ITA}}

1924

| 10

|

| Nice

| Briançon

|align=left|{{Flagathlete|Nicolas Frantz |LUX}}

1923

| 10

|

| Nice

| Briançon

|align=left|{{Flagathlete|Henri Pélissier |FRA}}

1922

| 10

|

| Nice

| Briançon

|align=left|{{Flagathlete| Philippe Thijs |BEL}}

=Giro d'Italia=

The Col d'Izoard was 7 times on the route of the Giro d'Italia.{{cite web |url=https://sportfolks.net/col-de-lizoard-salita-in-bici/ |title=Salite da scoprire: Col de l'Izoard |date=1 July 2017 |publisher= Sport Folks |access-date= 24 October 2023 |language=Italian}} The most famous passage over the Col was in 1949, when Coppi beat Bartali in the memorable stage from Cuneo to Pinerolo, taking the pink jersey.

==Appearances in the Giro d'Italia==

class="wikitable" style="text-align: center;"
Year

!Stage

!Start

!Finish

!Leader at the summit

2007

|12

|Scalenghe

|Briançon

|align=left|{{Flagathlete|Danilo Di Luca|ITA}}

2000

|19

|Saluzzo

|Briançon

|align=left|{{Flagathlete|Francesco Casagrande|ITA}}

1996

|14

|Santuario di Vicoforte

|Briançon

|align=left|{{Flagathlete|Pascal Richard|SUI}}

1994

|20

|Cuneo

|Les Deux Alpes

|align=left|{{Flagathlete| Marco Pantani |ITA}}

1982

|21

|Cuneo

|Pinerolo

|align=left|{{Flagathlete|Lucien Van Impe |BEL}}

1964

|20

|Cuneo

|Pinerolo

|align=left|{{Flagathlete|Franco Bitossi |ITA}}

1949

| 17

| Cuneo

| Pinerolo

|align=left|{{Flagathlete|Fausto Coppi |ITA}}

See also

References

{{Reflist}}

Further reading

  • {{cite book|title=Mapping Le Tour|first=Ellis|last=Bacon|publisher=HarperCollins Publishers|location=Glasgow|year=2014|pages=284–285|isbn=9780007543991|oclc=872700415}}