Aaah, it's good to bring back memories when Remco was still capable of winning GT's... The good ol' days!
To make sure the memories are memorable, it's important to emphasize Remco's greatness back in those days:
As I remember, Remco smashed the competition almost on every climb, and it started way earlier, on stage 6, with Pico Jano:
Jay Vine is the winner of La Vuelta ciclista a España 2022 Stage 6, before Remco Evenepoel and Enric Mas. Remco Evenepoel was leader in GC.
www.procyclingstats.com
Admitted, Vine was the best that day, but from the GC riders, only Mas barely held on for dear life while Remco only rode his (murderous) pace.
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_wnaUEAY5s0
Next, we have stage 9 where he indeed smashed the competition on las Praeres:
Louis Meintjes is the winner of La Vuelta ciclista a España 2022 Stage 9, before Samuele Battistella and Edoardo Zambanini. Remco Evenepoel was leader in GC.
www.procyclingstats.com
After Remco almost died in that crash, he heroically survived the cowardly attacks on Sierra de la Pandera. Remco was weak and his enemies tried to turn the knife in the wound:
Richard Carapaz is the winner of La Vuelta ciclista a España 2022 Stage 14, before Miguel Ãngel López and Primož RogliÄ. Remco Evenepoel was leader in GC.
www.procyclingstats.com
Luckily, the balance in the universe slowly restored on Sierra Nevada were the Remcomeback was set in:
Thymen Arensman is the winner of La Vuelta ciclista a España 2022 Stage 15, before Enric Mas and Miguel Ángel López. Remco Evenepoel was leader in GC.
www.procyclingstats.com
The cycling Gods decided that enough was enough, and they punished Roglic for his hubris not realizing Remco had a puncture, in Tomares, stage 16:
https://www.procyclingstats.com/race/vuelta-a-espana/2022/stage-16
With Roglic out, the forum exploded and the wounds healed but would not be forgotten. The Eternal Rivalry between the young and coming little pizzaman and the Slovenian "je ne sais quoi" was started, for good. Mas was the only remaining competitor but king Remco ruled the Vuelta from that moment on.