But that’s not how VO2max is defined, so your mind-blowing thought experiment really isn’t necessary. As the very article you cited states:
"It must be appreciated that a difference exists between VO2peak and VO2max and that these terms are often used interchangeably in the literature. That is, VO2peak is the highest value attained during exercise and represents an individual’s exercise tolerance while VO2max represents the highest physiologically attainable value [8]. Interestingly, a VO2max is always a peak but a VO2peak is not always maximal. "