Keep calm and go for it, Ironman tells his BMX sons

Cameron Brown will be at Vector Arena cheering on sons Joshua (left) and Braeden at the BMX World Championships this week. Photo / Richard Robinson

Keeping calm on race day is the advice 10-time Ironman New Zealand champion Cameron Brown is giving his sons Joshua and Braeden before this week's International Cycling Union BMX World Championships.

Brown's sons will be among nearly 4000 of the world's best riders racing from tomorrow until Sunday on the indoor course at Auckland's Vector Arena.

Joshua, 10, and Braeden, 11, have been riding for the Papakura BMX Club for five years and will this year compete for New Zealand in the 10 to 14 years class. "We thought it was a good sport to be in," said Brown. "It was one of those sports that was growing and a good sport to get a lot of skills from."

Their uncle Michael Kellow was a champion of the sport when he was younger, and their mother Jenny is the secretary of their club.

"They are very excited. It's their first world championships so it's nice to be on their home soil."

Brown, who won Ironman NZ 10 times and was second at the Ironman Triathlon World Championships twice, says he told his boys to "try and stay calm and get out there and do their best, that's all that counts".

"We'll be ... cheering them on."

The event is expected to attract 28,000 spectators. There are 1830 entrants in the age-group competitions and 2000 riders in the junior and elite classes.

Pedalling for glory

UCI BMX World Championships

* Tomorrow until Sunday at Vector Arena.
* 4000 riders to compete.