Geminiani was one of the top climbers of the 1940s and 1950s, winning seven Tour de France races and finishing second in the 1951 race.

Marc Madio, manager of Groupama-FDJ, paid tribute to Geminiani. An era is slowly passing away," he said. A giant is leaving us. Salou Gem," he posted on the team's social media.

France's Arcare B&B Hotels also paid tribute to Geminiani before the start, writing, "Raphael Geminiani, a brilliant rider and directeur sportif, passed away yesterday. Our sincere condolences go out to his family and loved ones at the start of stage 8 of the Tour de France."

Throughout his life, Geminiani was a talker and a big shot, working for Metropole Dunlop, Bianchi under Fausto Coppi, and his own team, Saint-Raphael-Geminiani. With this team, later sponsored by Ford France and Vic, he coached Jacques Anquetil, Lucien Aimard, and Luis Ocaña to great success.

Under his direction, the trio won five Tour de France, two Vuelta a España, and the Giro d'Italia. He also managed such legends as Rudy Altig, Jean Stavlinski, Joaquin Agostinho, Steven Roche, Fabio Parra, and, towards the end of the Belgian's career, Eddy Merckx.

During his racing days, he was known for his temper and had a long rivalry with Jean Robic and Luison Bovet; at the 1958 Tour, he named a donkey given to him by a fan "Marcel."

On a bicycle, Geminiani became the only man to finish in the top 10 in all three Grand Tours in the same year; in 1958 he wore the yellow jersey for three days and was the first Frenchman to wear the pink jersey in the Giro.

Geminiani died Friday morning near his home in Clermont-Ferrand in central France at the age of 99.