Video: Adam Craig previews World Cup cross country course

The opening round of the UCI Mountain Bike World Cup in Pietermaritzburg, South Africa will be the season's first gathering of the sport's international stars at one venue, and a crucial test for those with Olympic Games ambitions later in the summer.

One of the riders competing in South Africa is Adam Craig (Rabobank-Giant Off-road Team), a 2008 Olympian and a 14-time US champion in the cross country discipline.

The 30-year-old American takes a practice lap of the cross country venue, a 5.5km loop at the Cascades MTB Park, with a camera mounted on his bars to record the action.

Said Craig prior to his ride, "I'm going to hit some sweet jumps and try not to die going down some rocky, weird stuff."

The following video has been edited to show Craig tackling the loop's more technical features, with running commentary provided by Craig throughout.

Stay tuned to Cyclingnews for complete coverage of the UCI Mountain Bike World Cup from Pietermaritzburg, South Africa.