u/Gravel_in_my_gears

I was interested in this when I first saw it, and then just watched Stage 6 of la Vuelta again. AvdB gearing choice with this 1x mullet MTB cassette was clearly beneficial, right? Obviously she's an amazing generational rider, but this was clearly the correct gearing for the stage. Nobody else (important) was on it, and they were all struggling with very low cadences. Will we see "atypical" gearing in future races? Why or why not?

Both of these are 12 hours a week. One would have one rest day and shorter sessions, and the other three rest days and longer rides. Both would include intervals on 2 of the days. The same training effect? Or is one better than the other? If so, why?