Brian Cookson's bid to become president of the International Cycling Union has received further significant backing after USA Cycling announced its intention to vote for the Briton.

Cookson contest incumbent Pat McQuaid on September 27th for the office, with the winner needing at least 22 of the 42 votes to prevail in Florence.

Irishman McQuaid is seeking a third term in office, but has been roundly criticised for his handling of the Lance Armstrong doping affair, and Cookson now has the backing of Australia, all 14 European votes and the United States.

A statement on www.usacycling.org read: “The upcoming UCI presidential election should serve as a turning point for our sport – an historic moment in time when the UCI begins to chart a dynamic, new course and fully regains its international stature and credibility.

“It is clear from the cycling stakeholders’ survey that transparency, integrity, credibility, accountability and good governance must be addressed if we are to have a brighter future and grow cycling globally.

"The UCI president must lead, inspire and unify. As one of the five founding countries of the UCI, USA Cycling believes Brian Cookson is best qualified to lead the UCI at this critical moment in time and provide a measured, fair approach to managing the sport and rebuilding trust in the UCI.

“We are therefore proud to join the many other National Federations from around the world who have committed their support for Brian as the next president of the UCI.”