The benefit of the doubt should be given to the best climber, Tadej Merckx.It's true that both of them have never done such a type of TT against each other when it's not at the end of a GT. But the benefit of the doubt should be given to the 2 time WC ITT in this regard. He did multiple with around 400m of altitude, and he always destroyed the opposition there. Even in Dauphine this year when he wasn't even in proper form.
2021 Olympics isn't really a benchmark for Evenepoel's performance during TT's. He wasn't in shape during that week, RR showed that too.