Actually... this can be emphasized too much, and indeed has been emphasized too much here.
But ok, let's play out this scenario here to the end:
Now he wins the Giro 2020 and then goes to the TdF 21-23. So of course he doesn't win the Vuelta 22 anymore, no 22 year old will do 2 GTs in a year with the aim to do well (full GTs).
Giro in, Vuelta out, better palmares, agreed. But what does this do to let's say San Sebastian? 22? After he Tour? Yes, he goes and wins, no change, agreed. 23? With the WC waiting, where he has 2 bigger goals, he skips it in 23. To be there for the WC. Better preparation than he had in reality, but sorry, we were told it wasn't his form, but that the route simply didn't fit him, so he still doesn't win. Talking about WC, 22, coming out hot from the Vuelta, now it's a break after the Tour, on a course that didn't really seem to be selective enough for him. I'm afraid I have to take away his WC Road win too. But well, Giro, twice Liège, twice San Sebastian, data points at the TdF (whatever that will be, I let the creator of this scenario fill out that blank...) and WC TT, still a good palmares. A but wait, aren't we in "no crash universe" Yes, Liège, wasn't there something? Ah yes, a certain team leader, Monsieur Alaphilippe crashing out in 2022. But he's old and done? No no, here is something that actually hasn't been emphasized nearly enough: How Alaphilippe after his Liège crash 22 hasn't been even close to his pre crash results. So he's still the leader as the race goes on without him crashing out, Remco as the loyal team mate that he is doesn't attack, Alaphilippe wins the sprint of a small group, Van Aert either isn't there or too exhausted to be a danger to Alaphilippe. And 23? Well, Pogacar crashed, he's not going to be dropped by Remco in Liège, he's beating him in the sprint, if Remco even has the self confidence to attack there, after all he's never done that before and still waits for his first big monument or WC win.
So well, maybe it's time to accept reality and Remco's actual palmares, his actual career, that includes his crash im Lombardia, that includes his bad luck with Covid in 22, but that also includes his good luck with others crashing out or not even starting in Liège. (And I think Alaphilippe and Pogacar winning LBL in 22-23 is less of a stretch than Remco winning the Giro 20) Accept that Remco isn't the best pro rider at the moment, that's Pogacar. Going back to the crash, regularly (mostly when something didn't work as plannd, or Remco simply can't be regarded as number 1) prolonging the negative efffect it's suppsed ot have had on his career, we're now at 3 years... will we still be hearing how all would have been different if he doesn't win Amstel 28?
And his team's mismanagement, again, what exactly? It comes up regularly, but when has the weak teamt actually cost him a race? I still can't come up with an example. It's more about preparation and his program? Apart from the fact that I doubt that Remco is some sort of robot that does exactly what they tell him, without having any input himself.. what exactly was wrong? Letting him ride the Giro 21? I still don't see how that has hurt his career in the least, it definitely hurt the ego of his fans, who were all over the place telling us how Remco was going to win this. Turned out the "haters" were right, and nowadys the fans are trying to dismiss his result there with the exact same arguments the "haters" used BEFORE and DURING the Giro. Basically saying "the haters were right, that's why they are wrong". But did riding that Giro hurt him, his development? Sorry, no. After crashing out, he was back flying pretty soon., winning Belgium. He had a good season. It could have been better without the crash, sure, nobody is claiming that was a huge career boost, but would it have been better without riding the Giro? Doubtful. Probably the experience helped him in the Vuelta 22, having experience riding more than a week already. Riding the Vuelta 23? Of course almost everybody, "hater" or absolutely objective Remco fan here agreed that he should ride either the Tour or the Vuelta after his bad luck in the Giro. If he hadn't ridden the Vuelta that would now be hold up as evidence of mismanagement. So the team mismanagement that is holding him back is what, preparation? Or maybe here too, maybe it's time to accept reality. And reality is: Remco is a hell of a rider, but he's neither the best rider (that's still Pogacar, no change since I started writing this post, I checked) or unbeatable. Sometimes he's just simply not good enough. Even Pogacar sometimes isn't good enough. When Remco doesn't win it doesn't have to be the Lombardia crash 20, or the team, sometimes simply others are better. Really! Trust me, while I'm frustratingly often wrong with my predictions, on this one I'm confident I'm right (and Bilbao would have won the vuelta 23 if Bahrain had just let him start, no doubt at all about that one)
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