In the wake of the latest doping allegations surrounding Chris Froome and data leaks within the Sky Team camp, it's no secret cycling has been dragged through murky waters in the post-Armstrong era.
This week we look back to a time when the sport made headlines for all the right reasons and the mention of an American cyclist wasn't automatically associated with a loudmouth Texan.
Thursday marks 26 years since California native, Greg Lemond, pulled off one of the greatest comebacks in cycling history.
LeMond was trailing two-time champion Laurent Fignon at the start of the final stage, a time trial into Paris, and with 50 seconds to retrieve it looked as though the Frenchman would edge his rival.
The Tour de France is world renowned as a tournament where tactics are vital to success, but in 1989 it was a war of attrition.
From stage 5 onwards, LeMond and Fignon were the only two men to lead the race and the Frenchman was edging Lemond for the majority of the Tour.
Lionel Cironneau / AP/Press Association Images
Throughout the competition, the two men were never separated by more than 53 seconds.
This was a testament how evenly the pair were matched and over the course of each stage, the two were desperate to outdo one another.
The field was certainly not weak either; Irishman Stephen Roche was at the peak of his powers after winning the triple crown in '87 and defending champion Pedro Delgado had cruised to victory with seven minutes to spare in '88.
But this wasn't to be a year for the dominant european riders, this was the culmination of an American dream.
"I just went all out," said LeMond.
"I thought I could win, but I knew I needed something special. All I could think was how terrible it would be to lose by one second."
The margin of victory was the smallest by 30 seconds in the history of the Tour de France which began in 1903.
LeMond rode for an average speed of 54.55 km/h, the second fastest time trial ever ridden in the Tour de France, and claimed the final stage in dramatic fashion.
The achievement was all the more remarkable due to the fact that this was the crowning glory of a long and grueling recovery for the American.
LeMond was accidentally shot while hunting turkey in California in April 1987, nine months after he became the only American to win the Tour de France.
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