Details

The TopView Sports Merckx Advantage came about in 2014 as a way to level the playing field for riders who want to compete in Time Trials but don't have access to a full TT rig. We do plenty of Omniums and Stage Races as many non TT rig riders just couldn't compete so they didn't bother. We wanted to make a new way to score our TT's that's fair to both aero and non aero riders.  Most of our TT's are between 5 and 10 miles so we got with some really smart people to help us with the math to determine what a fair advantage would be. That number is usually 30 seconds most of the time,   but we do take into account terrain so sometimes the advantage is less if its too hilly. 
Here are the very specific rules to get the Merckx Advantage:  TVS will always have a representitive at the start line to asses the following criteria and determine aero status. 

1. No Aero bars of any kind

2. No Aero helmets(teardrop) and ears MAY NOT be covered

3. No Shoe covers or booties
4. No aero wheels of greater than 60MM deep. This is measured from where the spokes enter the rim to the top of the bead where the tire is mounted. We changed from 50MM to 60MM in 2024 to keep up witht he trend that most modern bikes some stock with wheels in the mid 50 range.  Keep in mind that many brands use model names that have nothing to do with actual depth. Please measure in advance to be sure and avoid start line arguments and issues. 
This Advantage is only used for a Stage Race or Omnium Weekend. Also, the advantage is only used to calculate points/time for these weekends and IS NOT used when reporting race results to USACycling. For those results no advantage is used and raw results are reported.