Cycling: Former Tour de France winner Greg LeMond to contest UCI role on 'clean' ticket

(GETTY IMAGES)

Three-time Tour de France winner Greg LeMond is prepared to run for the presidency of the International Cycling Union in an attempt to clean up the sport's image.

The 51-year-old American believes a change is needed at the top in the wake of a number of doping scandals, culminating in Lance Armstrong being stripped of his seven Tour titles.

"It is now or never to act, said LeMond, who was asked to run by Change Cycling Now, a newly formed pressure group which held a conference in London over the weekend.

"After the earthquake caused by the Armstrong case, another chance will not arise. I'm ready. I was asked and I accepted. If we want to restore public confidence and sponsors, we must act quickly and decisively, otherwise cycling will die. Riders do not understand that if we continue like this, there will soon be no money in cycling."