I DONT know Lance Armstrong, and I have NEVER raced next to him. However...
Some people tend to forget the role genetics played in Lance Armstrong’s success.
Armstrong’s heart is 33% bigger than the average man’s. This isn’t the sole reason for his performance, of course, as other racers have this condition.
He also has the low lactic acid levels, some of the lowest, if not the lowest, ever seen. Basically half the level of most people.
What does this mean, it means, he can sprint ahead and have people try and keep up, then slow down, recover in a shorter period of time than his competitors and sprint again. He does this over and over and eventually, lactic acid prevents his opponents from keeping up with him.
I don’t think doping explains 7 years of winning with so many negative tests.