It all boils down to getting power to the ground. If you can hang with or pull the group you are riding with, who cares about the mechanism used? Someone who would complain that you climbed the hill faster than them because you have a triple to their double is just making excuses.
I do a fair bit of group riding and am currently training for a Tri. Both my road bikes have triples, one is a Sora 8 speed and the other a 105 9 speed. I have them dialed in very nicely and have little issues shifting.
The Sora, do everything, bike's gearing is 52,42,30 in the front and I have both 11-32 and 12-30 cassettes with a Deore rear derailler. So its an 8 speed entry level bike with MTB components. Rear luggage rack, aero bars, reflective tape everywhere and mini maglights attached to the handlebars using hose clamps. No one seems to care about my drivetrain (or the rest of the bike for that matter) when I am pulling.
I rarely use the small chainring on either bike, though its nice to have it there. I can pull wheelies on my sora setup when I am in a 1:1 ratio and it is also good for riding through grass or the really steep hills when your are just too pooped to stand and hammer.