On a race bike does this stuff really make that much of a difference? This being the seat and chain stays? It seems that people have in mind that because a bike has carbon on it, it is better than a quality aluminum frame, is this the case? Iban Mayo rode an all aluminum Orbea to victory on Alpe d’Huez (lets not forget this guy is an incredible athlete)

Ok, than was an incoherent jumble of crap, but honestly – looking at it from a strict racing viewpoint, what advantages does carbon (seat, chain stays or even the entire frame) give (if any) over a quality aluminum frame?