UCI head McQuaid beaming with pride as cycling starts at Olympics

LONDON (AP) -- Pat McQuaid has reason to be glowing this week.

The president of cycling's governing body just watched the Tour de France go off without major disputes or glitches. It was won by Bradley Wiggins, further energizing a British fan base already at fever pitch with the world's spotlight on the Olympics.

Now, cycling takes center stage on the first full day of competition.

The men's road race begins Saturday on the Mall outside Buckingham Palace, and will bypass some of the city's iconic sights before finishing right where it began.

The TV broadcast should resemble a six-hour infomercial for the city, but also for a sport that has been dragged through doping scandals too numerous to count.