In the Tour de France, American Floyd Landis made a jaw-dropping charge in phase 17 of the bicycle race to win it all.
The crash came later.
Today, officials are saying a drug test shows he may have boosted his level of testosterone illegally. A second test will tell the tale. For now, Landis waits in limbo. But his plight is a chance for all athletes and fans to take stock, once again, of modern sports.
When Landis won the event, Americans took the victory personally — as if they crossed the finish line with him. But with a shared victory comes shared responsibilities. Americans must be willing to shoulder the embarrassment whenever one of their heroes cheats on the world stage — whatever the venue.
Athletes who cheat to win have the same mind-set as bank robbers. The prize to be had dazzles them to the point they take tremendous chances and run the risk of a ruined life just to have a chance to possess it. And each time they fail, their debacle becomes another lesson in hubris and misplaced priorities — a lesson people never seem to learn.
Tomorrow, there will be another bank robber making his play for the pot of gold, just as there will be another athlete willing to lie, cheat and steal to get himself — or herself — into the hallowed winner's circle.
As for Landis, he has been suspended from racing until the final test results are in. He stands to be the first racer in the event's 103-year history to be stripped of his title. While Landis himself remains secluded, others have been crossing their fingers and anticipating feelings of "disappointment," "sadness," "anger" and "frustration" should he be found with his hand in the jar of banned substances.
But pass or fail, his plight is just another reminder that the epidemic use of performance-enhancing drugs has created havoc in American sport. Eventually, the "synthetic prowess" of the drug abusers will only serve to showcase just how marvelous the athletes are who have been able to stay with the cheaters without delving into illegal aids.
The problem is, until the drug mess is finally cleared up, Americans will never know for sure who those "clean athletes" really are.