I am not a huge Zipp fanboy, but I watched one of the factory tours where they impact test wheels. If I remember correctly, they showed how a counterfeit Zipp knock-off breaks during impact testing compared to a genuine Zipp. The knock-off basically shatters like the Shimano wheel did (you can see 3 or 4 pieces of wheel skipping across the pavement in the GIF on Velonews). That video would be good fodder for the next "open-mold Chinese carbon clincher" thread.

Did BMC run over the same pothole? My understanding was that basically the entire Sky line went over a hole.

I was originally suspecting a maintenance mistake like you suggest. But I do think it's plausible that a high force, undampened shock by a sharp edge directly to the rim could cause failure.