Brian Cookson: how I would restore faith in cycling as UCI president They might have added that any sport will struggle to expect its competitors to respect the rules when they are bent, broken or altered in the president's office. This has to stop. The sport desperately needs a fair and dignified presidential election contest and these actions have put that into serious doubt. Sadly, it is what we have come to expect from the current leadership where even the president's salary is a mystery. It is symbolic of the problem that the UCI management committee, who have to approve the UCI's budget, are not permitted to know how much the president is paid or what other benefits he receives. Indeed, when I was sent an email from the UCI office last month asking me to vote on the approval of next year's budget, I asked the question, and was told that the salary and benefits issue was none of my business. It was a matter decided between the finance director and an "informal compensation committee," recorded in "protocols" and then locked in a safe at UCI headquarters in Aigle. It is this very lack of procedure, checks and balances and proper governance that has also led to strange decisions on crucial issues, including the acceptance of the now well-known Lance Armstrong donation. When the $100,000 cheque arrived to the in-tray, a properly governed organisation would have recognised that a sport's administration is severely compromised by accepting gifts from individual competitors. This did not happen and remains a matter of concern and conjecture. The presidential campaign has shown that cycling is facing a crossroads and a choice that will have a major impact on the future of our sport on many different fronts. Cycling can either stick with the behaviour patterns and mistakes of the past - the fudges, the deals behind closed doors, the nods, the winks - or choose a future in which it is run along the principles of accountability, transparency and clear lines of responsibility as described in my election manifesto "Restoring Trust, Leading Change." As my record as president of British Cycling shows, I believe passionately in fairness and the importance of good governance. These values have guided my time in office, helped to build respect for our organisation and paved the way for sporting success. This is not an abstract debate but something essential for our sport to win back the trust of fans, sponsors, broadcasters race organisers and those who cycle clean. It is fundamental to cycling's development among young people and the next generation of competitors who want to believe in their heroes. Nothing is more real and more urgent than for the UCI to restore confidence and credibility and to provide leadership to be proud of. There is an alternative to the current regime and the time is right for change.