sniper said:
Ok, name me a tour de france winner with more charisma than armstrong.
(NB: i use the term charisma here in a neutral sense, i.e. regardless of whether this charisma is positive or negative)
Whether you like it or not, it's quite obvious that Armstrong could not have gotten all these people behind him, ride for him, and lie and cheat for him, if he did not have at least a minimum of charisma.
(again, the term charsima does not imply anything of 'being a good person').
I still do not agree with the word charisma to describe what LA had.
A mid 6 figure salary and once "in the circle and on the team nutrition program" will go a long way towards getting some to keep the omerta for a period of time. We can see the unraveling of time and absence of salary at work here with FL and TH and probably GH and others. If Heras, Beltran, and other ex postal turned positive after leaving lived in the US, there would likely be many more birdies singing at the moment. If you call charisma the ability to woo soldiers from a foreign army with gold and riches and protection, that's your call. I might call those who abide for the time being mercenaries.
And Alberto? You really do need to learn spanish. He is a very mature, well spoken, humble, and seemingly very nice guy. Light years and galaxies beyond any spot LA has ever stood in the pantheon of human existence.
A smile and an egomaniacal drive to control and dominate does not charisma make.
The entire LA machine has been a carefully orchestrated and brilliant machine put in place by many others much smarter than LA and all tied to something dear and emotional, cancer, to many millions. Not charisma.
After attacking and putting riders on the front to gap the "team leader", AC in the tour a few years ago... After explicitly stating that AC would be team leader many mos before....
Avoiding the post tour celebration dinner with the team and AC....
Tweeting while in the back of the team bus that something stinks when AC arrived to give watches to the riders from the previous year's winning tour team...
I'd venture a guess that 99% of the riders in the peloton were/are aware of these incredibly charismatic LA moments and will never forget them when the piper comes calling.
I might suggest a word similar to charisma but with a few different letters, try chancre.