Five value picks for your E3 Saxo Classic cycling fantasy team

Our selections are based on our partner Cycling Fantasy, where players have a 5,000 credit budget to build a nine-rider team.

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Jenno Berckmoes (Lotto-Intermarché) costs just 400 credits, and you could get a real bang for your buck if you decide to take the gamble and pick him. The 25-year-old Belgian has been showing glimpses of strong climbing performances for a ‘sprinter’, with his 11th place at Milan-Sanremo as clear evidence, and he might even have been hoping for more.

Things have never quite fallen into place for Berckmoes at E3, with a 30th place in 2025 his best result so far. Still, with the confidence from a strong showing in last week’s Primavera, combined with his ability to handle steep kickers, we believe Berckmoes could be in the mix around the top ten come Friday.

Aimé De Gendt has been performing well in 2026. The Belgian finished 5th at Omloop Nieuwsblad during Opening Weekend and was part of a dangerous breakaway in Grand Prix Denain just under a week ago. De Gendt joined Pinarello-Q36.5 for the 2026 season after leaving Cofidis, where he had already shown clear top ten classics credentials, including a top ten in the 2025 edition of E3.

For just 200 credits, and given his proven ability to finish in the top ten of classics, there is little reason not to pick De Gendt as perhaps your 8th or 9th rider in your 9 man Cycling Fantasy team.

5th in last year’s edition of E3, and coming off another top ten at Milan Sanremo as well as a third place on a stage at Paris Nice, the 33-year-old Belgian has been performing strongly. His form is clearly there, as evidenced at Milan Sanremo, so Stuyven has the potential to recreate a result similar to his 2024 E3 performance, where he finished behind a dominant Mathieu van der Poel.

For 400 credits, Stuyven should be your 4th or 5th rider on the roster, and if the race gets tough, which it almost certainly will, expect him to be right at the front when it matters.

Another 400 credit rider is Anthony Turgis of TotalEnergies. Turgis is a Tour de France stage winner, taking victory on the gravel stage to Troyes in 2024, and has also finished second at Milan Sanremo and Dwars door Vlaanderen, among other strong results. His 2026 season has been solid so far, with 6th at Trofeo Calvia, 4th on the opening stage of Provence, 8th in Omloop, 10th on stage 2 of Paris-Nice, and most recently a podium at Grand Prix Denain.

If a small group goes to the finish and Turgis is part of it, the Frenchman will certainly be one of the favourites. He has a strong sprint in these situations, which is why we believe Anthony Turgis is a great addition to your fantasy team.

To complete the five riders, we’re sticking with a familiar theme: the 400 credit picks. This time it’s Matteo Trentin (Tudor), who has already secured a classics podium in 2026 with a 3rd place at Kuurne-Brussel-Kuurne alongside teammate Luca Mozzato, who finished second. Trentin also placed 9th at Milan-Sanremo, another solid result, and will head into E3 full of confidence.

In 2025, Trentin finished 14th at E3 and will be aiming to break into the top ten this time around. If it comes down to a small group scenario, as he has shown many times before, Trentin has the quality to come out on top.