Psimet2001 

This is like saying that a tree that is burned to the ground might be "dead". I assure you it is dead. Your assessment is spot on so feel free to be confident in it.

This can explain a lot. In general Velocity has a much better quality record than many give it credit for but they have definitely had problems with their extruders in the past. I have a pile of Major Tom rims that were, for lack of a better term, trash. I am able to use them for stretching tubulars but that's it. I am not aware of any extruder problems in the recent past though (last 3-4 years). Not saying they haven't happened though.

I have an feeling this may be more due to the build or builder if I may. Indulge me and I will frame it for you.

1. That nipple is an alloy nipple because it is red. This screams it's a builder who either has no idea that alloy nipples are horrible or is a builder who has decided that the industry says they are fine and that's good enough for them. If any client goes with alloy nipples on any of my builds I still make them acknowledge a waiver that they will fail sooner than brass ones would.
2. Given we have established the builder either doesn't know or knows and is more of a "hey, I do what the companies say I can do" then I have a feeling the builder also used Velocity's guideline for the tension on those rims. As a general rule of thumb we don't get to that high of a tension. IMHO their rims have always carried too much of a tension rating for spokes. I believe your builder ran the initial tensions to that limit...assuming they were an actual builder and used a tensiometer. If they are the kind of builder I think they may be then they missed the part about that tension rating from Velocity being a "Max" tension. Instead thinking it should be the mean tension. Example: Speed limits actually mean that is the fastest you should be driving in that ares - not the actual speed that all must be driving at.
3. If the builder was good and did a good job but still shot for those high tensions then when you handed it to a hamfisted shop to "true" it they pushed the tension of a couple of spokes over the edge - drastically reducing the fatigue life cycles before failure for the rim.

This or Velocity made a crap rim.

Hitting a large object can accelerate this type of failure but if it was large enough to cause this then the rim around that area would also be dented/splayed/ have a flat spot or have a damaged bead.
This is the first set of wheels I have actually upgraded on a bike. Other bikes I have had for such little time I did not see the need to spend a bunch of money on, but man I love this Orbea lol.[/QUOTE]