Bad Medicine Ride brings cyclists to Shell

By: 
Nathan Oster

Saturday’s Bad Medicine Ride went off without a hitch despite the heavy rain that fell in and around Shell on Thursday and Friday.

Wet conditions forced organizers to make some course alterations, turning the 32-mile course into a 35-miler and the 56-mile course into a 55-miler.

With approximately 75 registering, turnout was down by about 30 percent compared to 2021 — a record year for the event — but about on par with earlier years, according to organizers Jeff Grant and Kevin Clark of the Shell Campground.

Grant and Clark speculated that turnout may have been impacted by the prolonged heat, high gas prices and the fact that Bad Medicine would have been the fourth straight weekend of cycling for some.

Several locals were among those who entered – and completed – the three course.  The most hard-core of them focused on the 56-miler, with 19 of the 21 completing the course.

Brandon Smith, a Greybull native now living in Casper, placed  second, finishing in 3 hours, 26.58 minutes.  Tim Cahhal of Buffalo won it in 3:18.53.

James Hoffman of Basin paced the locals in the 32-mile race, placing third in 2:29.16.  Ward Dominick of Cody won in 2:21.46.  Nathan Winninger of Powell was second with a 2:29.14.

Among locals, Dan Close of Greybull placed ninth in 2:43.

First-place in the 25-mile race went to Patrick Frank, who finished in 1:52.34.  He’s the son in law of Shell’s Nolan and Denise O’Neal, married to their daughter Elisa.

Jessie Jardine, who is married to Nolan’s daughter Julie, placed fourth in 1:53.59.  His older brother Patrick Jardine was fifth in 1:57.15.

Among the first timers was Julie Sickles of Helena, Mont.  As she awaited the start, she spoke of seeing a post advertising the ride on Facebook, thinking it would be fun and making the trip to Shell by herself.

“I like to challenge and push myself,” she said.

She would place 14th in the 25-mile ride.

Winninger, of Powell, echoed Sickles.

“Plus, I grew up around here,” he said.  “This is probably one of my favorite places, once you get to the base of the Big Horns and you have your greens, reds, whites … a splash of colors.”

 

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