Kate Bates: world championship, Commonwealth Games gold medal, Olympic..

Parramatta Cycling Club member McGee could almost answer to the name cycling legend; he has his own website detailing his multiple achievements.

First among them is the team-pursuit gold he won at the Athens Olympics.

He has the chance to add another in Beijing.

Fellow Parramatta Cycling Club member Bates hasn't got her own website but could have one, such are her achievements.

Those achievements don't include Olympic gold, however.

Bates finished fourth in her pet pointscore event and sixth in the endurance race in Athens.

Should she finish her career just short with silver or no Olympic medal, that won't mean failure, of course.

That would be an unworthy judgment.

It is for her to judge herself by her own standards, but father Robert said Bates wasn't contemplating cycling life without a golden finish.

``Her ambition is an Olympic gold medal,'' he said.

``She also plans to ride on to the London Olympics in 2012.

``Kate is 25 and elite endurance cyclists are supposed to be at their peak between 25 and their early 30s.

``Kate says she's confident.

``She's now in Italy and will be going into camp in Germany before Beijing.

``She's also got the advantage of having been riding with a very strong team, Team Columbia, which is the strongest in the world.''

Bates was always going to be among the elite, having been bred in the purple. Robert Bates is the Parramatta president, mother Judy is the club secretary and older sister Natalie, 28, who missed out on Beijing, is also a Commonwealth Games gold medallist.

The time has long past when Kate Bates called Parramatta a permanent home.

After making all the traditional track progress, through institutes of sport and championship wins, she now cycles in Europe eight months of the year.

Sister Natalie is also on the European circuit.

Despite Kate Bate's confidence and worldwide experience, Robert Bates said gold and silver linings weren't certain in Beijing or London.

``The Olympics is the hardest race to win and they tend to come out of the woodwork,'' he said of other riders.

But he added that uncertainty was also a point in her favour.

Though Bates will ride the track endurance event as a support and her main focus will be the pointscore event, Bates senior pointed to Athens.

``You never know,'' he said.

``Sarah Corrigan rode supporting the No.1 in Athens and won the gold medal.''

Kate Bates is two thirds of the way through a business degree she may cash in for a career post-cycling.

That could be a fair way down the track, post London at least.

But right now, there is some unfinished business.