Do you not think it's quicker to not have to drop down on the front though? If you lose 2 seconds for every shift down/up, it adds up seriously quickly! I much prefer a 2×9 with a wide ratio cassette so you can just stay in the big ring for much longer, may not save as much weight, but is faster IMO.
This aint f1 we're talking about.
For a start, you dont lose 2 secs on any shift.
secondly. Before you hit a climb, descent etc you should be in the right gear, so for instance, if i was to come to a climb i would know if i need to be in the middle or top chainring.
I only run a 3×9 because finances have prevented me getting a 2 x 9 or 2 x 10 set up.
using a 3×9 set up allows me though to hit the inner chainring for fatigue or general spinning reasons. But if i;m gonna use it i'l know prior to the climb if i need to be in it.
i also like my 44t top chainring which i use alot. Fannying about going between chainrings instead of cassette ratio's may lose fractions of time but if you feel its costing you alot of time over a race then you need to seriously think about your riding style and also your managing or thinking about situations during your ride.
I can honestly say i've never finished a race thinking my shifting has cost me places, chainsuck maybe but not the actual process of shifting