The INEOS Grenadiers took a pair of top-five finishes as Volta a la Communitat Valenciana and Etoile de Besseges moved into their second day.
In Spain, Thymen Arensman and Carlos Rodriguez rode their way into a select GC group on the first-category Alto Partegat summit finish. The duo benefitted from some great riding by Tobias Foss, who pushed on with 17 kilometres to go on the penultimate Benimartell climb.
Arensman came home fifth, 24 seconds back on stage winner Santiago Buitrago (Bahrain-Victorious), while Rodriguez finished eighth, a further 10 seconds back. On the GC, Arensman (+19secs) holds fifth, with Rodriguez (+29secs) now seventh.
Over in France, the team rode hard on the run-in to stage two, which played out in a bunch sprint.
Artem Shmidt kicked things off with 10km to go, launching clear to stretch out the peloton. In the closing stages Ben Turner was the final man in the lead-out, helping to position Axel Laurance. With a gap briefly opening up behind, Laurance launched his sprint early, but was ultimately reeled in in sight of the finish. The Grenadier held on for fifth place, and now sits sixth overall, 16 seconds back on leader Paul Magnier (Soudal Quick-Step).