Going by LR numbers Pogi did similar (6,8w/kg 38min) to Riis Hautacam 1996 (6,9w/kg 35min) yesterday. Adjust the back-of-the-envelope as needed if the numbers are wrong. Or juxtapose to PdB, which I guess are better established (ie not just LR).
To tease out some of the implications the tucker piece that was posted on this forum earlier considers Riis' little stunt as an example:
https://sportsscientists.com/2010/07/cycling-performance-what-is-possible/
Now sustaining 6,8w/kg costs around 82ml/kg/min. Assuming Riis / Pog has a high efficiency (23%, which is generous) and is able to sustain 85% of their vo2max this deep into the race (chronic fatigue) and a hard stage (acute fatigue), the model spits out an implied 96ml/kg/min vo2max. If we assume that they sustained 90%, the implied vo2max is only 91ml/kg/min, but sustaining 90% I don't buy. The reality will lie (sic) somewhere in between.
Also the 23% efficiency assumption is likely on the high side, so actually the implied vo2max numbers are likely higher.
Now in the exphis folklore 96-97ml/kg/min is the highest recorded value -- in a test. Surely we are to believe that riders achieve performances implying such numbers this deep in a GT.
IMO these kinds of plausibility checks were and are the intended use of w/kg calculations, at least if deployed in a critical way. Recently the mechanistic bases summarised very crudely above (discussed in more detail in the Tucker piece itself) have first of all been lost in translation. The numbers are taken to just stand for themselves, when in reality under the hood there are assumptions and the figures are about ranges. Secondly the IG generation has rendered high w/kg into a badge of honour. Alternatively it became a simple discursive weapon already during the sky era.
It is true that the basic tucker model is not very sensitive towards aero and all. But even at 24kmh aero is not gonna be a game changer.
Also IMHO this year's PdB was way more insane than the TT last year. No contest. Something to do with the fact that PdB is the most batshit performance thus far. Also Vinge's PdB is the more insane feat, IMOz when compared to the TT. Pog was already going down form wise, hence the ridiculous gap to him. Surely the PdB is to be topped next year.
Gonna need quite a portion of aero porridge to convince me that tech and nutrition are driving the numbers. Or that the tribal talk how X is more naturally (lol) talented than Y is the relevant story and angle here.