I'm in Seattle.

I've got basic Planet Bike fenders that cost me about $35 6 or 7 years ago. They've been on two bikes so far, and still going strong. I've picked up the occaisional rock, which has been spat out forward like a pea-shooter.

The plastic fenders have been tossed around and bumped into things and been pried up by bus rack hooks and tossed into the car and generally abused, they've done fine.

They are quite forgiving.

I'm not surprised someone did well on a steel bike in a race. A steel frame is only about 2 lbs more than a carbon frame. Go pee before a race, and you drop a pound anyway.