Gallery: Behind the Scenes at Tour of Britain with Chain Reaction

Chain Reaction last night won the Online Store category at the BikeBiz Awards to cap what has been a very eventful month for the business – one that, being September, began at Eurobike but which centred on the brand’s participation in the Aviva Tour of Britain – and here’s a behind-the-scenes look at the race.

Besides being co-sponsor of the An Post-Chain Reaction team, the Northern Ireland-based retailer also sponsors the points jersey at the week-long race.

If you were at any of the stage finishes in person, you can’t have missed the Chain Reaction branded truck that hosted the big screen, nor the company’s presence in the fan zone at each stage end.

There, it ran a Wattbike Challenge as well as showcasing products including the Vitus range of bikes, which Chain Reaction exclusively sells and which are ridden by the UCI Professional team it sponsors.

Here’s some of the top shots from the week’s racing, courtesy of Chain Reaction, and there’s much, much more in the gallery above.

Chain Reaction helped keep fans up to date on the race by hosting the big screen – here it is on the opening day at the finish in Wrexham.

The Chain Reaction Wattbike Challenge, which gave fabs a chance to win prizes at each stage, was ready to roll at the finish area, too.

It was a Welsh start for the race his year, with Stage 1 beginning on Anglesey and heading through North Wales to Wrexham.

Matt Barbet was at home anchoring ITV’s coverage – literally in the case of Stage 1 for the North Wales native; you don’t see him stick his tongue out on the telly, mind.

A bird’s eye view of the finishing straight in Colne, Lancashire.

Stage 2 may have been in England, but it is the Tour of Britain after all – although we’re not sure how much of the action these fans would have been able to see.

Young fans at the Stage 3 finish in Kelso.

Stage 3 may have started in England, but a pipe band plus the backdrop of Floors Castle left no doubt that Stage 3 finished in Scotland.

The team the company co-sponsors popped by after the finish in Blyth. At 6 feet 9 inches, Conor Dunne was the tallest rider in the race; that’s him in the middle if you hadn’t guessed.

The Wattbike Challenge proved popular – here’s a cyclist taking it on in Blyth.

And finaly, about as prime a Central London location as it gets for showcasing your brand – Trafalgar Square.

With thanks to Chain Reaction for the pictures.