I think it looks very cool. I have a feeling that in the future we'll see more and more road bikes with disc brakes. Although many argue about the added weight, it makes sense for touring. I can see the advantages of disc brakes for a heavy, loaded bicycle going down steep mountain roads on a tour.
I have taken my road bike down a steep, mountain road from a ski resort outside of town. Although I stayed off the brakes most of the way down, I did start to notice some brake fade after going downhill for 15 miles.
The spoke holder seems like more a gimmick to me. I have only broken 2 spokes and they were on a 15 year old bike that needed the wheel trued.