 It was strongest in his own area, the Auvergne, where rumours had spread that Géminiani had ridden the 1947 race only because his father had bribed the selectors.There was astonishment when he was picked for the national team in the 1948 Tour de France.He was insulted when he beat a local favourite, Jean Blanc, in a race near Clermont-Ferrand three days before the start.