Although the north face of the Col d’Izoard may not have had quite as much of the Tour de France limelight as its southern ascent, don’t let that little piece of trivia misguide your judgement towards this mythical mountain that stands centre stage of the Route des Grandes Alpes (Great Alpine Road) stretching 684km from Lake Geneva to the shores of the Mediterranean. Starting in Briançon it’s a stern test, just shy of 20km in length and cloaked in larch wood trees almost all the way up to its 2,360 metre summit. While they offer shelter from the elements they also obscure your view and hold you in suspense right until the very end, gradually peeling back their layers to reveal the 3,320 metre Pic de Rochebrune amidst a mountain landscape beyond words. Deep breath, relax and peace.
Start: Briançon
Length: 19.5km
Summit: 2,360m
Elevation gain: 1,145m
Average gradient: 5.8%
Max gradient: 9%
Special thanks to our partners Mavic, Cannondale, Exposure Lights, Fi’zi:k, Haute Route, La Fuga, Lezyne, Map My Tracks, Muc Off, Scicon, The Sufferfest, Torq Fitness and USE for enabling us to bring these truly spectacular mountains to life for you all. If you’re in need of new bike kit in the future and you enjoyed this video then bear them in mind and help keep the wheels turning 🙂
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Stay well, ride safe and thank you for watching.
Mike Cotty
The Col Collective
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43 Comments
Already asked in the comment section of an older video, but you probably missed it. Just out of interest since it´s my local mountain pass (well one of them, the most spectacular) , is the passo del rombo on your bucket list? Anyway, great videos – riding in alpine scenery is my favourite part of road biking together with racing- keep them coming! ;D
Wonderful work again… Mike Cotty , you made it look easy as ever… Keep them coming these are some of the most awesome cycling videos we get to see… Finally managed to see a rider climbing infront of you in the video 🙂 … Or normally you are the only one in the videos… And the 'Col Collective maths'…hahaha that was something…Cheers!!!
Thanks, love this collection
Nice video, thanks!! Will there be a Mortirolo video coming soon???
it's amazing, every time you ride alone!!!! I know I know magic of movie:) another great video, motivation 100%
***** We recorded this in late June last year. As you know it can be busy at this time of the year so best to leave early if possible to beat the traffic. Col Agnel will be coming in the next few weeks, such an incredible climb, absolutely one of the greatest there is to ride!
Beautiful work again Mike, what a backdrop at 4.59 wow..thanks keep them coming
Fantastic and inspirational video as always!
You should do the Grossglockner -Edelweissspitze. It's an absolute beast of a mountain, but insanely beautiful and with a cobbled finish the final 1.5 km or so.
lovely
How about some videos of the California moutains
…..simply beautiful!…….you lucky, lucky man…….thanks for the inspiration
Great video! Home sweet home. Living in Briançon during my youth, I had to chance to climb Izoard so many times.I liked it a lot, not too difficult from the North but still quite long and rewarding climb. Landscape up there are magnificient. Getting back in Alps in early May, the Izoard might already be open…
Great inspiration! Thank you. Keep going.
You should think about doing some climbs in the Austrian alps, from Tirol, great stuff there.
Third time watching..one word……inspirational…Chapeau😀
Great series of videos, love watching them on the flat screen at home… beautiful and inspirational. Keep 'em coming!
Another great video! Wonder what VAM this is?
Greetings from Belgrade
I so wish i was on your place! 😀
Thank you and you`re team for combineing nature, sport and pain into these beautiful artistic videos!
i havent skiped any so far 😉
Another superb job by you and your team, Mike! These videos are always inspirational. More history as you do more climbs, please! Cycling's history is so rich with stories that we should all know and remember, and the mountains hold so many of those stories.
Soo great road and huge climb .) nice one…..
Another epic route Mike, makes me wanna get on my bike, inspirational!!
Great as ever Mike … btw what model of oakley u wearing ?
Awesome! Can't believe someone has clicked "dislike"!?!?! What's not to like about that video?
Another stellar video, many thanks.
Its a great ride and there's a rewarding gelato shop at the bottom in Briancon, too!
Fantastic job as always !
I will seriously consider the partners while buying any cycling related need since they have supported you to make all these wonderful videos.
Is it possible to share the musics played in background in the videos ?
Best,
Estupenda colección. ¡A por más puertos! Una gozada, muchas gracias.
amazing French government paved all these many mountains
Refuge Napoleon do a great omelette!
inspiring, stellar indeed, mike you make a tremendous job, you make me want riding my bike more often!!! Music is also stuning on that video… Keep up!!!
Great! If you are thinking about a cycling holiday in the Alps, stop thinking and get on and do it. The whole region is a cyclists paradise.
Great video and top quality. Please keep up the good work, these videos are amazing. I climbed the Col d'Izoard recently from Briancon, its a stunning ride just like you described it. How about a video for the Col du Granon, that was a hard climb.
The sheer beauty of it leaves me speechless. Thank You
As I watch your videos and follow along on Google Earth I am encouraged by the number of cyclists on the climbs. The terrain rivals the Rocky Mountains in the US
Bro you should ditch that saddle , you are hardly using it, in that way you will save some weight ! Great vids , I enjoy them very much ! Keep up with a good work !
fantastic job what spectacular views, we don't have anything like this in California.
who makes your kit?
I climed the Izoard from Briançon in july this year. I started early in the morning, it was a beautiful warm day and there wasn't any traffic yet at this early hour. All things combined one of the most beautiful and memorable climbs I did in my life. The piano tune starting at 4:12 perfectly underlines the memories I have from that day.
If you wanna see the descent on south side click here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CORatcjLqiw
😀👍
I did it this year. My bike was broken, and i had one day with a rental bike to do this climb. It was so much fun that i descended the other side, continued to the Col d'Agnel, descended from the same side, climbed Izoard one more time and descended back to Briancon. it took something like 10 hours, but it was worth it 😉
The music is amazing
One of my beloved House Mountains i Fighted and enjoyed both♥️👍🙏🔥
Watch this video so many times… it’s of the best.. the music , the mountain … incredible
I climbed this with three friend in 2015, shortly after Mike made this video. The music and photography captures this climb so very well. It is one of my favorites. I was in the US and intentionally did not watch it to the end at the time because I wanted the climb to retain some mystery.