August 6th. Glamorous it is not. Breathless, sweating and caked from head to toe in splatters of grey mud, he wheels to a halt after almost two hours of flat-out effort and settles down to a long wait. Behind him, away from the small crowd, Union Wood in Sligo is quiet and peaceful. Over 12 minutes elapse before the silence is broken by the shouts of those cheering the second and third placed riders across the finish line.

On this day Robin Seymour is, quite clearly, in a class of his own. In a sport where the currency of victory is usually measured in seconds rather than minutes, the margin of his win illustrates a clear dominance over the field. So too the fact that the 29-year-old has lapped all bar two of his rivals in this Irish cross country championship, continually reeling in riders while powering his lightweight racing machine over the steep climbs and down the juddering, technically demanding descents of the forested course.

If anything, statistics reveal a more impressive superiority. Seven times the national mountain bike championships have been held in Ireland, seven times there has been the same runaway winner of the title. Combine this with nine consecutive victories in the national cyclo-cross event and you get the measure of his achievement. A run of 15 uninterrupted national titles, which makes his Olympic debut in Sydney all the more belated.

Atlanta, well that goes down as one that got away. Seymour and former Tour de France stage winner Martin Earley were regarded as the two strongest mountain bike riders at the time, but while the latter was given the nod by the Irish selectors, Seymour saw the second slot handed to Northern Ireland cyclist Alastair Martin. It was a bitter pill for Seymour, a decision which sparked much controversy within the sport.

Four years on, he speaks little of that time. Better instead to substitute reflection and recollection with ambition and focus. One month to go and Seymour has no time for introspective what-might-have-beens. "I am just delighted to be going and determined to ride as well as I can," he said in February, when he became the first cyclist to be nominated by the Irish Cycling Federation for Sydney.

And now? "It is just beginning to really sink in", he admits. "Most days I am getting stuff in the post, telling me the arrangements for the Olympic village and that is bringing it home. Now I am starting to get a bit worried," he smiles. "Worried and excited."

The opportunity is just reward for the Wicklow cyclist, who has toiled for years in pursuit of such moments. Finding he had outgrown Irish competition Seymour moved to England several years ago and, rated in the top five there, races for the Helly-Hansen squad. It's a small team, but one which gels well together; in July, Seymour led his outfit to victory in the prestigious Red Bull Mountain Mayhem 24-hour relay race, a sure test of team solidarity if there ever was one. His girlfriend Tarja Owens - who has dominated the Irish women's scene herself for the past six years, also races in the red and blue of the sponsor.

And that does much to assist his dedicated focus. Last year a costly overseas campaign saw him break into the top in the world rankings and secure an Olympic slot for Ireland. This year, since his ratification by the Irish cycling federation, everything has been geared towards Sydney. Reassuringly, things have gone quite well.

"The world championships back in June were very encouraging," he says. "It was at high altitude in Sierra Nevada. I started quite far back on the grid but had a really solid race and ended up 34th by the end. I just rode really steadily and paced myself perfectly.

"I had another good race in Lommel, Belgium recently - I didn't feel that great, physically, on the day but things worked out well and I was 13th in a good field."

So what of his expectations for Sydney? "The course is perhaps not as technical as I would like, but the short, sharp climbs make me quite optimistic," he says. "I was 34th in the world championship out of 100 riders, but the Olympics has a field half that size and of that, there are perhaps 10 guys from countries who wouldn't be that strong. So I think if all goes well on the day, a top-20 finish is certainly possible."

Seymour gets a chance at a dry run (although in truth a mud-bath would be much preferred) in next Saturday's European championships in Rhenen, Holland. Then the emphasis of his 20 hours a week on the bike shifts from endurance work to power and speed sessions as he peaks for his September 24th deadline.

And afterwards? Such is his tunnel vision, what comes next is somewhat unclear. He's reached an age when physiology begins to hamper the athlete, but having started late he remains upbeat.

"I still feel that I can get more out of myself, and that makes me want to continue. I like the thought of racing in America - I did a few rides over there last year and handled myself well. The courses are more technical and have shorter power climbs, which suit me."

"You know, I'd even ride for nothing for a professional team," he admits. "Just being brought to all the races, competing against the best and having myself and my bike looked after - that would be enough."

And they say De Coubertin's ideology is dead and buried. Amidst the posturing, the preening and the posing which accompanies the Olympic circus, his attitude is a beacon. Few could begrudge him a strong performance at the Olympic Games in Sydney, in September.