We arrived in Briançon on Bastille Day (Jul 14).
The following morning we set out to ride a loop which included the last 52kms of Stage 14 including the above category clime, the col d'Izoard.

Stage 14 Photos

In 1692 when Vauban first came to Briançon, building work had already begun on the city walls the previous year. Vauban transformed the town into a real stronghold and made many improvements to the existing plan, such as the Embrun Front (south-west), with a tiered fortification, and notably the false bray.  The city walls are still virtually in their original state, the Italian Front (north), is a good example of Vauban's first system of bastion fortification.