Now what if, GL really WAS a genetical exception. That although he had a French name, and tried to integrate, he was always an outsider, not part of the omerta of his era. His tests do point towards that, and his adversaries (that rode more than a season or two in the 80's) won't step up to question his natural ability, despite his big mouth. Not even the French.
If 90's PEDs really only offer a small percentual gain, and GL was doing so well, so motivated, in a killer body, he may have gotten his wins against less talented dopers. he stuck out more above the rest of the top rider than PEDs could compensate. Until EPO. Which made him worry about PEDs for the first time, it was an issue, and he was all at once an also-ran.
I don't like the way GL runs his PR (he's just really stupid at it), but his story is more believable than anyone else's.
Lance knows "everyone" doped in the 80's, and feels confident pressing GL for confessing about it. But reall, had they been born the same year, and ridden their races together, and shared meals and what the heck even PEDs, GL would have been the big maestro. Lance got to show how good he was clean, supposedly the early 90's. A good one-day racer when he had his day. Decent time trialist. Compare that to GL.