Simon Parker column

The American’s remarks slipped under the radar in the grand hoop-la surrounding the return of rugby union’s prodigal son.

Matt Stevens made all the right noises on his comeback press conference following a two-year ban for taking cocaine.

But despite being collared on his first day back by the random drug testers, it felt that Stevens had been away on a lengthy sabbatical rather than a worldwide punishment from the game he professes to love.

He’d discovered a talent for a new sport – Brazilian jiu jitsu – and had a stab at the world of TV celebrity in one of those vote-for-your-favourite singing contests. Now he was going to put all that so-called purgatory behind him at a brand new club as well.

No wonder the smile rarely left his face amid all the backslapping from the union media corps.

But while all this was going on, another convicted drug user was announcing his retirement from sport – with a parting bombshell.

Google the phrase ‘Tour de France cheat’ and 288,000 stories pop up. There are clearly plenty to choose from in a profession hampered by the illegal assistance of chemicals.

But the name Floyd Landis has always stood out from the rest. Stripped of his 2006 yellow jersey after testing positive for testosterone, Landis is reviled by cycling.

It’s not so much his refusal to accept responsibility for his actions that has stirred such resentment, more his on-going campaign to drag others down with him.

His highest-profile target will always be former team-mate Lance Armstrong, who is once again under the spotlight of fresh accusations.

The Tour legend is bringing down the curtain on his glittering career in the Tour Down Under. Meanwhile, a federal grand jury in Los Angeles analyses fresh allegations against him.

Jeff Novitzky, who is heading the investigation, has previously brought down Olympic sprinter Marion Jones and disgraced baseball star Barry Bonds. While Armstrong yet again protests his innocence in Australia, the authorities have sent in their bloodhound.

With all this going on, Landis chose the perfect moment for his own pay-off line: Legalise doping.

In his eyes, sport can never beat the medical advancements available to those cheating the system. So why bother trying?

“Just accept that it’s here and that it’s not going away.” A harmless enough sentence but an utterly shocking one.

The Stevens case is different in that he took drugs for recreational use. They were not performance-enhancing.

But the happy-clappy image portrayed this week does not set a great example. Forgive and forget, of course, but at least attempt to grin a bit less.

It should not detract from the serious business of weeding out the real cheats, those willing to con the fans and their opponents to gain any advantage.

Armstrong has always been one of my sporting icons following his monumental rise from cancer patient to seven-times Tour champion. I hope that, as with the countless probes down the years, this new investigation proves groundless.

But don’t stop them digging. Don’t stop the testers from catching those ruining sport. And never, ever, listen to Landis and his laissez-faire solution.