Pog made the podium in his first GT last year in the Vuelta. After having a really great season.
Maybe it is possible for Remco too but I think a top 5 or even a top 10 would be more realistic in Remcos case. Hell, just finishing your first GT is good, but maybe not for someone like this kid right here. I would happily be proven wrong, but I dont think he can win it. Even if he surprises and founds himself in the lead. His team and a lack of support will be a factor too.
Amazing start of the season so far though. Salute.
Remco will only be 20 for a few months while Pog turned 21 a week later. This may look like a childish argument, but looking at the rate at which both are evolving, i think it's valid. Six months down the road both might have grown stronger still. Also, you can't compare the Vuelta to the Giro. There is a reason why the Vuelta is often the GT of choice to send GT virgins to. Mountains are less extreme, overall tempo is (s)lower, less press... And also the opposition in last year's Vuelta wasn't that deep. There was Roglic, Valverde, Lopez, an out of form Quintana and Majka. That was basically it for the real contenders. If you see guys like Hagen, Knox, Teuns battling for a top 10 spot, that's rather telling.
But ultimately, we shouldn't be looking at who will be the best soonest, but how good will they be at their peak (in a few years). They just happen to be very good very soon, so the temptation is there to compare them in that regard as well.