You may find that the reduced volume higher intensity approach effective (with or without PCs) and I certainly wish you the best success:!:
Certainly my experience is such and this again is where the baseline data would help proving. Next year I am going to save data from every ride (I put a Polar on my mountain bike) and even convert spin class HR data to an approximate TSS so every training mode is recorded to some degree.
Exactly my plan, in fact. I've already begun recording my training this fall as I start to get some base again. The spring won't be a fair comparison to now because of my current lack of fitness, but I do have a recorded ride from this summer (when I was fit) to compare to. It won't be the most rigorous of comparisons, but hey, this isn't really my science and I don't plan to publish.
One of the elite guys I know, a guy I train with from time to time, actually had a spin scan done and is remarkably even in pedal application. He's also got an incredibly high cadence, regularly riding crits at a 110-120 average. He's not the strongest in the pack but he's a smart racer and tends to do well anyway in local races, consistently top 20 in the P-1-2 field.
On the other hand, another friend of mine was his former teammate(who just got a pro contract in Wisconsin) who can turn 420W while reading a book and holding a conversation (HR ~155 after 5 minutes). This guy weighs 200+ lbs and wins hill climbs here in Colorado by significant margins ... and he has a terrible spin profile, all power on the downstroke. He's been riding for basically two years and took third in the National TT championships this year as a Cat 2. Hell, he won an 85 mile road race in June on a windy 98 degree day by going off the front with one other guy from mile 7 - then shedding him at mile 65 and beating him by 10 minutes! And we have some of the best time trialists in the country here (in fact, numbers 1 and 2 from this year's TT championship were both in that pack) . This guy would appear to support what you're saying; but the problem with me wanting to emulate him is that he is nothing but pure, raw talent. It may be that the very top people will be good no matter what kind of stroke they produce simply because of this talent.
Anyway, lemme know when you find that study