GTCs, Terms and Conditions of Participation & Privacy Policy
I. Terms and Conditions of Participation
The following terms and conditions and liability waivers apply to participation in the Rooted Secrets (RS) cycling challenge. It is explicitly stated that RS does not constitute an organized group tour or a bicycle race. Instead, it is primarily a distance challenge (test of endurance) in which a cyclist demonstrates their ability to cover a predetermined distance using only their own power and without external assistance. The route and checkpoints are provided by the organizers.
Terms and Conditions of Participation / General Terms and Conditions
Rooted Secrets (RS) – Terms and Conditions of Participation / General Terms and Conditions
1. Organization
Thomas Kress & Michael Kress
Lüttgen-Salbker Weg 27
39122 Magdeburg
Email: rootedsecrets@outlook.com
2. Terms and Conditions of Participation / Subject Matter of the Contract
2.1 Subject Matter of the Agreement
Rooted secrets is a puristic, self-supported long-distance cycling challenge for those seeking a true challenge. Here, it is not the seconds that count, but the experience, endurance, and connection with the route. Participants must cover the distance using only their own power and without any external assistance.
The framework of the challenge is established by the organization, but the execution is entirely in your hands:
Start & Finish: We define the timeframe and location for both the start and the finish.
Unmanned Checkpoints (CPs): You will pass designated checkpoints along the route. Since no staff will be on-site, you are responsible for navigating to these points and documenting your passage yourself (e.g., via a local stamp, a photo, or digital proof).
Full Autonomy: Navigation, nutrition, and mechanical repairs are 100% your responsibility. There is no broom wagon and no on-course support provided.
Rooted secrets is about pushing your personal limits, not about a place on the podium.
Not a Race: There is no official timing and there are no leaderboards. The focus is solely on the achievement of completing the distance under your own power.
At Your Own Risk: Participation is expressly at your own risk and peril. You will be riding on public roads and are solely responsible for your own safety and compliance with all traffic regulations.
A fee is charged to cover the organizational framework.
2.2 General Terms of Participation
By participating in Rooted Secrets, participants accept these General Terms and Conditions. All participants are required to familiarize themselves with the content of these Terms and Conditions and to comply with them.
Registration becomes binding upon submission of the registration form and payment of the participation fee. A refund of the participation fee will only be granted in the event of a binding written cancellation made at least 60 days prior to the start of the long-distance cycling challenge.
2.3 Traffic Regulations
Participants are required to comply with all statutory road traffic regulations (StVO), in particular to respect official signage and to use designated cycle paths where available. Any failure to comply with these regulations will result in disqualification from the long-distance cycling challenge.
2.4 Roadworthiness of the Bicycle
Participants are obliged to equip their bicycles in accordance with the statutory Road Traffic Licensing Regulations (StVZO) (where applicable) and to ensure the vehicle's roadworthiness. Specific attention is drawn to the regulations regarding lighting for racing bikes.
2.5 Mandatory Helmet Use
The wearing of a helmet is mandatory.
2.6 Fitness Requirements
Participants undertake to personally assess their physical fitness for participation in the event. In case of any doubt, a physician should be consulted.
2.7 Minimum Age
Participants must be at least 18 years of age.
3. Liability
3.1 Acknowledgment
By completing the binding online registration (i.e., by submitting their personal data), participants confirm that they have read, understood, and expressly accepted these General Terms and Conditions of Participation.
3.2 Assumption of Risk
Participation in the long-distance cycling challenge is entirely at the participant's own risk. Participants are fully aware of the inherent dangers associated with cycling activities. Participants acknowledge that striving for high levels of athletic performance involves significant risks. Participants accept that the activity may pose a threat to their life and physical safety. This includes hazards for everyone participating in the long-distance cycling challenge, specifically resulting from environmental conditions, technical equipment, atmospheric influences, potential hazards of public roads, as well as natural and man-made obstacles.
3.3 Limitation of Liability
Riding and entering the route, as well as the start, intermediate, and finish points, takes place with the exclusion of any liability on the part of:
Rooted Secrets, its employees, staff, members, and/or volunteers;
All other individuals or institutions involved in the organization of the long-distance cycling challenge;
The legal representatives and vicarious agents of all individuals and institutions mentioned in points 1 and 2.
3.4 Intent and Negligence
This liability waiver does not apply to damages resulting from injury to life, body, or health caused by an intentional or negligent breach of duty, nor to other damages caused by an intentional or grossly negligent breach of duty.
3.5 Duty to Inform
Participants undertake to inform any accompanying persons about this liability waiver.
3.6 Health
Participants must be healthy, in good physical condition, and thus capable of participating in Rooted Secrets. Participants are solely responsible for ensuring their own fitness. The organizer assumes no liability for any health risks to the participants. By starting the long-distance cycling challenge, participants bindingly declare that there are no known health concerns regarding their participation.
3.7 Impossibility of Performance
In cases of initial impossibility of performance, the organizer shall only be liable if they were aware of the impediment to performance or if their lack of knowledge was due to gross negligence, provided that no fundamental contractual obligation (cardinal duty) is affected.
3.8 Equipment and Clothing
The organizer assumes no liability for the loss of participants' equipment or clothing. Participants are therefore responsible for taking appropriate care of their belongings or ensuring they have adequate insurance coverage.
3.9 Data Storage and Publication
Participants agree that the data provided in their registration may be processed and stored electronically by Rooted Secrets and/or its service providers. Participants further consent to the publication of their data in the participant and results list (confirming completion of the long-distance challenge), including on the internet, as well as the use of photographs taken during the event featuring their likeness. Any express objections must be reported to the organizer at the time of registration.
4. Applicable Law / Severability Clause
The laws of the Federal Republic of Germany shall apply to all legal relationships between the organizer and the participants. Should individual provisions of these General Terms and Conditions be or become invalid or void, the validity of the remaining provisions shall remain unaffected.
II. Privacy Policy at a Glance
1. General Information
The following notes provide a simple overview of what happens to your personal data when you visit this website. Personal data is any data with which you can be personally identified. For detailed information on the subject of data protection, please refer to our privacy policy listed below this text.
Data Collection on This Website
Who is responsible for data collection on this website? Data processing on this website is carried out by the website operator. You can find their contact details in the Legal Notice (Imprint) of this website.
How do we collect your data?
On the one hand, your data is collected when you provide it to us. This may, for example, be data that you enter into a contact form or during newsletter registration. Other data is collected automatically or with your consent by our IT systems when you visit the website. This primarily consists of technical data (e.g., internet browser, operating system, or time of the page view). This data is collected automatically as soon as you enter this website.
What do we use your data for?
Part of the data is collected to ensure the error-free provision of the website. Other data may be used to analyze your user behavior.
What rights do you have regarding your data?
You have the right at any time to receive information free of charge about the origin, recipient, and purpose of your stored personal data. You also have the right to request the correction or deletion of this data. If you have given your consent to data processing, you may revoke this consent at any time for the future. Furthermore, you have the right, under certain circumstances, to request the restriction of the processing of your personal data. You also have the right to lodge a complaint with the competent supervisory authority. For this purpose, as well as for any further questions regarding data protection, you may contact us at any time at the address provided in the Legal Notice (Imprint).
Analysis Tools and Third-Party Tools
When visiting this website, your surfing behavior may be statistically evaluated. This occurs primarily through the use of so-called analysis programs. Detailed information about these analysis programs can be found in the following Privacy Policy.
2. Hosting and Content Delivery Networks (CDN)
External Hosting
This website is hosted by an external service provider (host). The personal data collected on this website is stored on the host's servers. This may include, in particular, IP addresses, contact requests, meta and communication data, contract data, contact details, names, website access, and other data generated via a website.
The host is used for the purpose of fulfilling contracts with our potential and existing customers (Art. 6 (1) lit. b GDPR) and in the interest of a secure, fast, and efficient provision of our online offering by a professional provider (Art. 6 (1) lit. f GDPR).
Our host will only process your data to the extent necessary to fulfill its performance obligations and will follow our instructions regarding this data.
3. General Notes and Mandatory Information
Data Protection
The operators of these pages take the protection of your personal data very seriously. We treat your personal data confidentially and in accordance with the statutory data protection regulations and this Privacy Policy. When you use this website, various personal data is collected.
Personal data consists of data that can be used to personally identify you. This Privacy Policy explains what data we collect and what we use it for. It also explains how and for what purpose this is done.
We would like to point out that data transmission over the internet (e.g., when communicating by e-mail) can have security gaps. Complete protection of data against access by third parties is not possible.
Notice Regarding the Controller
The controller responsible for data processing on this website is:
Thomas Kress & Michael Kress
E-Mail: rootedsecrets [at] outlook.com
The "controller" is the natural or legal person who, alone or jointly with others, determines the purposes and means of processing personal data (e.g., names, e-mail addresses, etc.).
Revocation of Your Consent to Data Processing
Many data processing operations are only possible with your express consent. You can revoke consent that you have already given at any time. The legality of the data processing carried out until the revocation remains unaffected by the revocation.
Right to object to data collection in specific cases and to direct advertising (Art. 21 GDPR)
IF DATA PROCESSING IS BASED ON ART. 6 (1) LIT. E OR F GDPR, YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO OBJECT TO THE PROCESSING OF YOUR PERSONAL DATA AT ANY TIME FOR REASONS ARISING FROM YOUR PARTICULAR SITUATION; THIS ALSO APPLIES TO PROFILING BASED ON THESE PROVISIONS. THE RESPECTIVE LEGAL BASIS ON WHICH PROCESSING IS BASED CAN BE FOUND IN THIS PRIVACY POLICY. IF YOU OBJECT, WE WILL NO LONGER PROCESS YOUR AFFECTED PERSONAL DATA UNLESS WE CAN DEMONSTRATE COMPELLING LEGITIMATE GROUNDS FOR THE PROCESSING WHICH OUTWEIGH YOUR INTERESTS, RIGHTS, AND FREEDOMS, OR THE PROCESSING SERVES THE ESTABLISHMENT, EXERCISE, OR DEFENSE OF LEGAL CLAIMS (OBJECTION PURSUANT TO ART. 21 (1) GDPR).
IF YOUR PERSONAL DATA IS PROCESSED FOR THE PURPOSE OF DIRECT ADVERTISING, YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO OBJECT AT ANY TIME TO THE PROCESSING OF PERSONAL DATA CONCERNING YOU FOR THE PURPOSE OF SUCH ADVERTISING; THIS ALSO APPLIES TO PROFILING TO THE EXTENT THAT IT IS RELATED TO SUCH DIRECT ADVERTISING. IF YOU OBJECT, YOUR PERSONAL DATA WILL SUBSEQUENTLY NO LONGER BE USED FOR THE PURPOSE OF DIRECT ADVERTISING (OBJECTION PURSUANT TO ART. 21 (2) GDPR).
Right to Lodge a Complaint with the Competent Supervisory Authority
In the event of violations of the GDPR, data subjects have the right to lodge a complaint with a supervisory authority, in particular in the Member State of their habitual residence, their place of work, or the place of the alleged violation. The right to lodge a complaint is without prejudice to any other administrative or judicial remedies.
Right to Data Portability
You have the right to have data that we process automatically on the basis of your consent or in fulfillment of a contract handed over to you or to a third party in a common, machine-readable format. If you request the direct transfer of data to another controller, this will only be done to the extent that it is technically feasible.
SSL or TLS Encryption
For security reasons and to protect the transmission of confidential content, such as orders or inquiries that you send to us as the site operator, this site uses SSL or TLS encryption. You can recognize an encrypted connection by the fact that the address bar of the browser changes from "http://" to "https://" and by the lock icon in your browser bar. If SSL or TLS encryption is activated, the data you transmit to us cannot be read by third parties.
Information, Erasure, and Rectification
Within the scope of the applicable legal provisions, you have the right at any time to free information about your stored personal data, its origin and recipients, and the purpose of the data processing and, if applicable, a right to the rectification or erasure of this data. For this purpose, as well as for further questions on the subject of personal data, you can contact us at any time at the address provided in the Legal Notice (Imprint).
Right to Restriction of Processing
You have the right to request the restriction of the processing of your personal data. For this purpose, you can contact us at any time at the address provided in the Legal Notice (Imprint). The right to restriction of processing exists in the following cases:
If you contest the accuracy of your personal data stored by us, we usually need time to verify this. For the duration of the verification process, you have the right to request the restriction of the processing of your personal data.
If the processing of your personal data was/is unlawful, you may request the restriction of data processing instead of erasure.
If we no longer need your personal data, but you require it for the exercise, defense, or establishment of legal claims, you have the right to request the restriction of the processing of your personal data instead of erasure.
If you have lodged an objection pursuant to Art. 21 (1) GDPR, a balance must be struck between your interests and ours. As long as it has not yet been determined whose interests prevail, you have the right to request the restriction of the processing of your personal data.
If you have restricted the processing of your personal data, such data – apart from its storage – may only be processed with your consent or for the establishment, exercise, or defense of legal claims, or for the protection of the rights of another natural or legal person, or for reasons of important public interest of the European Union or a Member State.
4. Data Collection on This Website
Contact Form
If you send us inquiries via the contact form, your details from the inquiry form, including the contact details you provided there, will be stored by us for the purpose of processing the inquiry and in case of follow-up questions. We do not share this data without your consent.
The processing of this data is based on Art. 6 (1) lit. b GDPR, provided your inquiry is related to the performance of a contract or is necessary for the implementation of pre-contractual measures. In all other cases, the processing is based on our legitimate interest in the effective processing of inquiries addressed to us (Art. 6 (1) lit. f GDPR) or on your consent (Art. 6 (1) lit. a GDPR) if this has been requested.
The data you enter in the contact form will remain with us until you request us to delete it, revoke your consent for storage, or the purpose for data storage no longer applies (e.g., after the processing of your inquiry has been completed). Mandatory statutory provisions – in particular retention periods – remain unaffected.
Inquiry by E-mail, Telephone, or Fax
If you contact us by e-mail, telephone, or fax, your inquiry, including all resulting personal data (name, inquiry), will be stored and processed by us for the purpose of handling your request. We do not share this data without your consent.
The processing of this data is based on Art. 6 (1) lit. b GDPR, provided your inquiry is related to the performance of a contract or is necessary for the implementation of pre-contractual measures. In all other cases, the processing is based on our legitimate interest in the effective processing of inquiries addressed to us (Art. 6 (1) lit. f GDPR) or on your consent (Art. 6 (1) lit. a GDPR) if this has been requested.
The data you send to us via contact inquiries will remain with us until you request us to delete it, revoke your consent for storage, or the purpose for data storage no longer applies (e.g., after the final processing of your request). Mandatory statutory provisions – in particular statutory retention periods – remain unaffected.
5. Plugins and Tools
YouTube with Enhanced Data Protection
This website embeds videos from YouTube. The operator of the pages is Google Ireland Limited ("Google"), Gordon House, Barrow Street, Dublin 4, Ireland.
We use YouTube in enhanced data protection mode. According to YouTube, this mode ensures that YouTube does not store any information about visitors to this website before they watch the video. However, the transfer of data to YouTube partners is not necessarily excluded by the enhanced data protection mode. For instance, YouTube establishes a connection to the Google DoubleClick network regardless of whether you watch a video.
As soon as you start a YouTube video on this website, a connection to YouTube's servers is established. This informs the YouTube server which of our pages you have visited. If you are logged into your YouTube account, you enable YouTube to associate your surfing behavior directly with your personal profile. You can prevent this by logging out of your YouTube account.
Furthermore, after starting a video, YouTube may store various cookies on your device or use comparable recognition technologies (e.g., device fingerprinting). In this way, YouTube can obtain information about visitors to this website. This information is used, among other things, to collect video statistics, improve user-friendliness, and prevent fraud attempts.
If necessary, further data processing operations may be triggered after starting a YouTube video, over which we have no influence. The use of YouTube is in the interest of an appealing presentation of our online offerings. This represents a legitimate interest within the meaning of Art. 6 (1) lit. f GDPR. If a corresponding consent was requested, processing takes place exclusively on the basis of Art. 6 (1) lit. a GDPR; consent can be revoked at any time.
Further information on data protection at YouTube can be found in their privacy policy at: https://policies.google.com/privacy?hl=en.
Source: eRecht24
6. Disclaimer
1. Liability for Content
As a service provider, we are responsible for our own content on these pages in accordance with general laws pursuant to Section 7 (1) of the German Telemedia Act (TMG). However, pursuant to Sections 8 to 10 TMG, we as service providers are not obliged to monitor transmitted or stored third-party information or to investigate circumstances that indicate illegal activity. Obligations to remove or block the use of information in accordance with general laws remain unaffected by this. However, liability in this regard is only possible from the point in time at which we become aware of a specific legal violation. Upon becoming aware of such legal violations, we will remove this content immediately.
2. Liability for Links
This website contains links to external third-party websites over whose content we have no influence. Therefore, we cannot assume any liability for this external content. The respective provider or operator of the pages is always responsible for the content of the linked pages. The linked pages were checked for possible legal violations at the time of linking. Illegal content was not recognizable at the time of linking. However, permanent monitoring of the content of the linked pages is not reasonable without specific indications of a legal violation. Upon becoming aware of legal violations, we will immediately remove such links from this website to the infringing site.
3. Copyright
The content and works created by the service providers, their employees, and commissioned third parties on these pages are subject to German copyright law. Reproduction, editing, distribution, and any kind of utilization outside the limits of copyright law require the prior written consent of the respective author or creator. Downloads and copies of this site are only permitted for private, non-commercial use. Insofar as the content on this site was not created by the operator, the copyrights of third parties are respected. In particular, third-party content is identified as such. Should you nevertheless become aware of a copyright infringement, please inform us accordingly. Upon becoming aware of legal violations, we will remove such content immediately.