McQuaid and Cookson battle for UCI presidency

The fight for the presidency of the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) will be a two-horse race after it was confirmed there were no other challengers to Pat McQuaid and Brian Cookson.

Irishman McQuaid has held the position as the most powerful man in world cycling since 2005 and is seeking a third term while Cookson is seeking his first term in office.

The biggest challenge in cycling administration remains the fight against doping and McQuaid believes that under him it is a fight they are starting to win.

He said: “It is now possible to race and win clean.

“During the past eight years I have introduced the most sophisticated and effective anti-doping infrastructure in world sport to cycling and opened up everything that is beautiful about our sport to new countries around the world.

“Cycling is a changed sport and it has a bright future.

“My mission now is ensure that we never turn back and that we preserve the culture of change within the peloton, that we revolutionise the way that we present our sport and that we continue to develop cycling worldwide in collaboration with all of our stakeholders.”