Briton Cookson to stand for head of sport's ruling body By Keith Weir LONDON (Reuters) - Briton Brian Cookson plans to challenge Irishman Pat McQuaid for the presidency of the International Cycling Union (UCI), pledging to take a strong stance against the doping issues that have tarnished the sport. Cookson has been president of British Cycling since 1996, overseeing high profile Olympic and Tour de France victories that have encouraged many ordinary Britons to take up cycling to keep fit or commute to work. Cycling globally is struggling to emerge from the shadow cast by Lance Armstrong, the American who was stripped of his seven Tour de France titles last year for doping offences. "We must restore cycling's credibility," Cookson, who is 61, said in a statement announcing he planned to run for the top job in world cycling. "The first priority for the new UCI president must be to change the way that anti-doping is managed so that people can have confidence in the sport," he added. We must also urgently carry out a fully independent investigation into the allegations of corruption in this area which have so damaged the UCI's reputation. Critics accused the UCI of failing to do enough to catch the American during the years in which he dominated the sport. McQuaid, who took over as president of the UCI in 2005, the year of Armstrong's last Tour de France victory, has strongly defended the federation's handling of the Armstrong affair. McQuaid plans to seek a third term as president in an election to be held in the Italian city of Florence in September. Cookson said if elected he would work with the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) to establish an independent body to deal with the issue in the sport. Jaimie Fuller, an Australian businessman who has led the "Change Cycling Now" lobby group, backed Cookson. We believe him to be a man of integrity. He has hit the nail on the head with the issue of doping," said Fuller, who is chairman of the SKINS sportswear company, a cycling sponsor. "He's shown a track record in the UK that he can deliver," added Fuller, who has repeatedly called for McQuaid to quit. "Change Cycling Now" had previously proposed American Greg LeMond, who won the Tour three times, as an interim head of the UCI. Writing by Keith Weir; Editing by John O'Brien