TERMS AND CONDITIONS
§1 Scope of Application
(1) The following General Terms and Conditions apply to all contractual relationships between the tour operator and the customer in the version valid at the time of booking.
(2) The customer may be a natural person, a company, or any other legal entity.
(3) Deviating, conflicting, or supplementary terms and conditions of the customer shall only become part of the contract if the tour operator has expressly agreed to their validity in writing.
(4) This version reflects the status as of 27 May 2026.
§2 Conclusion of the Travel Contract
(1) By making a booking (travel registration), the customer makes a binding offer to GBI Event GmbH (hereinafter “tour operator”) to conclude a package travel contract. The basis of this offer is the travel description and supplementary information provided by the tour operator for the respective trip, insofar as these are available to the customer at the time of booking.
(2) Booking must be made exclusively via the websites www.aurelocycling.com.
(3) Additional services may be booked at the time of registration. These can be added or modified either directly during registration or later up to a set deadline through the AURELO participant support team.
(4) The contract is concluded upon receipt of the booking confirmation (declaration of acceptance) by the tour operator. No particular form is required. At or immediately after conclusion of the contract, the tour operator will send the customer a travel confirmation electronically.
(5) If the content of the tour operator’s declaration of acceptance differs from the content of the booking, this constitutes a new offer by the tour operator, which is binding for a period of 10 days. The contract is concluded on the basis of this new offer if the customer declares acceptance within the binding period by express declaration or deposit payment.
(6) For bookings made via electronic commerce (e.g. the internet), the following applies to the conclusion of the contract: The customer is guided step by step through the booking process. A correction facility is available to correct entries, delete, or reset the entire online booking form. By clicking the “Buy Now” button, the customer makes a binding offer to the tour operator to conclude a travel contract. Submitting the booking by clicking “Buy Now” does not give rise to any claim by the customer for the conclusion of a travel contract in accordance with their booking. The contract is concluded upon receipt by the customer of the tour operator’s booking confirmation, which is sent electronically.
§3 Conditions for Participation
(1) All customers who meet the following requirements are entitled to participate in the offered trips:
Proper and timely registration via www.aurelocycling.com
Acceptance of the Terms and Conditions
Full payment of the participation fee
For cycling participants: A roadworthy bicycle that in particular meets the requirements of the Highway Code or similar legal requirements applicable in the countries travelled through
A general state of health that at minimum meets the requirements of multi-day events. In case of doubt, a doctor should be consulted in advance of the event
Minimum age of 18 years. Justified exceptions may be approved upon informal request by the tour operator
§4 Payment
(1) Upon conclusion of the contract, a deposit of 20% of the travel price becomes due and must be paid within 7 days of receipt of the invoice. The remaining balance is due 28 days before the start of the trip, provided the trip can no longer be cancelled for the reason stated in §8.
(2) If the customer fails to make the deposit and/or the remaining balance in accordance with the agreed payment deadlines, the tour operator is entitled, after issuing a reminder with a deadline, to withdraw from the travel contract and charge the customer cancellation fees in accordance with §6 paragraph 3.
§5 Changes to Services and Prices After Conclusion of Contract
(1) Deviations from the agreed content of the travel contract regarding essential travel services that become necessary after the conclusion of the contract and were not brought about by the tour operator in bad faith are permitted, provided the deviations are not significant and do not impair the overall nature of the trip.
(2) Any warranty claims remain unaffected insofar as the amended services are defective.
(3) The tour operator is obliged to inform the customer electronically without delay of any significant changes to services, as soon as the reason for the change becomes known.
(4) In the event of a significant change to an essential travel service, the customer is entitled to withdraw from the travel contract free of charge or to request participation in an alternative trip, if the tour operator has offered such a trip. The customer must expressly agree to the change.
(5) If the tour operator incurred lower costs for the modified or alternative trip, the difference must be refunded to the customer.
(6) The tour operator is entitled to increase the confirmed travel price if, after conclusion of the contract, transport costs, charges (e.g. tourist taxes, energy levies, official fees, VAT) or exchange rates increase. Price adjustments are made only to the extent that the trip has become more expensive for the tour operator. In particular:
a) If cost-relevant prices for accommodation or transport (especially energy or fuel costs) increase, the additional amount may be passed on to the customer.
b) If charge-related costs or exchange rates increase, the travel price may be adjusted proportionally.
(7) In the event of a subsequent change to the travel price, the tour operator will inform the customer without delay. Price increases taking effect from the 20th day before departure are invalid. For price increases of more than 10%, the customer is entitled to withdraw from the travel contract without charge or to request participation in an at least equivalent trip, if the tour operator is able to offer such a trip from its range at no additional cost to the customer. The customer must assert these rights without delay after the price increase has been declared.
(8) The customer may request a reduction in the travel price if the prices, charges or exchange rates referred to in §5 paragraph 6 lead to lower costs for the tour operator after conclusion of the contract and before the start of the trip. If the customer has paid more than the amount owed under these circumstances, the excess must be refunded by the tour operator. Actual administrative expenses, which must be demonstrated to the customer upon request, may be deducted from the amount to be refunded.
§6 Withdrawal by the Customer Before the Start of the Trip
(1) The customer may withdraw from the trip at any time before its commencement. The withdrawal must be declared in writing to the tour operator. If the trip was booked through a travel agent, withdrawal may also be declared to the agent. The customer is advised to declare withdrawal electronically.
(2) If the customer withdraws before the start of the trip or fails to commence the trip, the tour operator loses the right to the travel price. Instead, the tour operator may, provided the withdrawal is not attributable to the tour operator or unavoidable extraordinary circumstances, demand reasonable compensation for travel arrangements made and expenses incurred prior to withdrawal, depending on the respective travel price.
(3) The amount of compensation is determined by the travel price less the value of expenses saved by the tour operator and less any benefit the tour operator gains from alternative use of the travel services. The tour operator has established the following percentage compensation amounts according to the time of receipt of the withdrawal declaration and the start of the trip:
– Up to 60 days before departure: 20% of the travel price
– 59 to 30 days before departure: 40% of the travel price
– 29 to 15 days before departure: 60% of the travel price
– 14 to 7 days before departure: 80% of the travel price
– 6 days before departure or failure to appear: 95% of the travel price. The customer retains the right to demonstrate that no damage or significantly lesser damage was incurred.
(4) In any case, the customer reserves the right to demonstrate to the tour operator that no damage or significantly lesser damage than the flat rate claimed has occurred.
(5) The tour operator reserves the right to demand a higher, individually calculated compensation in place of the above flat rates, provided the tour operator demonstrates that significantly higher expenses were incurred than the applicable flat rate. In this case, the tour operator is obliged to specify and substantiate the compensation demanded, taking into account expenses saved and any alternative use of the travel services.
(6) Alternatively, the customer may, up to 7 days before the start of the trip in accordance with § 651e of the German Civil Code (BGB), nominate a substitute participant, subject to a service fee of €50. Any actual additional costs incurred (e.g. name changes at hotels, tickets, etc.) will be passed on.
(7) The statutory right of the customer to nominate a substitute participant in accordance with § 651e BGB remains unaffected by the above conditions.
§7 Rebooking
(1) The customer has no entitlement to changes regarding the travel date, destination, place of departure, accommodation, or mode of transport (rebooking) after conclusion of the contract. If a rebooking is nonetheless made at the customer’s request, the tour operator may charge a rebooking fee per traveler, subject to the following deadlines. Up to 60 days before departure, this fee consists of individually calculated actual costs plus a service charge of €50.
(2) Rebooking requests submitted after the deadline can, if at all possible, only be processed after withdrawal from the travel contract under the conditions of §6 and simultaneous new registration.
§8 Withdrawal Due to Failure to Reach Minimum Participation Numbers
(1) If a minimum number of participants is specified in the travel description or other documents that have become part of the contract, the tour operator may withdraw from the travel contract up to 14 days before departure if the minimum number is not reached. If the trip is not carried out for this reason, the customer will receive an immediate refund of all payments made towards the travel price.
(2) In the event of withdrawal for the above reason, the tour operator assumes no responsibility for reimbursing third-party services such as flights purchased by the customer outside of the tour operator’s service package.
§9 Cancellation Due to Unavoidable Extraordinary Circumstances (Force Majeure)
(1) The tour operator is entitled to cancel the contract before the commencement of services without notice if unavoidable extraordinary circumstances arise that significantly impair or make impossible the provision of the agreed services.
(2) Unavoidable extraordinary circumstances exist in particular when events occur that are beyond the tour operator’s control and cannot be avoided even with the greatest care (e.g. natural disasters, political unrest, epidemics, official measures, significant security risks).
(3) In the event of such cancellation, the customer will receive an immediate refund of all payments already made. No further claims, in particular for damages, exist.
(4) The statutory right of cancellation under § 651h para. 3 BGB (where applicable) remains unaffected.
§10 Termination and Exclusion for Behavioural, Psychological, or Physical Reasons
(1) The tour operator may terminate the travel contract without notice if the customer persistently disrupts the trip despite a formal warning, or behaves in such a contractually contrary manner that immediate termination of the contract is justified.
(2) If the customer is clearly not physically or mentally capable of meeting the requirements specified in the respective travel description, the tour leader is entitled to exclude the customer from the travel programme, in whole or in part.
(3) If a cycling customer’s bicycle does not meet local legal requirements and/or the customer refuses to wear an approved helmet at all times while cycling, the tour leader is entitled to exclude the customer from the travel programme, in whole or in part, on safety grounds, even without prior warning.
(4) If the customer violates advertising prohibitions as per §15, the tour leader is entitled to exclude the customer from the travel programme, in whole or in part.
(5) In the event of termination or exclusion, the tour operator retains the right to the travel price; however, the value of expenses saved and any benefits gained from alternative use of services not taken up, including amounts credited by service providers, must be deducted.
§11 Customer Obligations
(1) Reporting of Defects
If the trip is not provided free of travel defects, the customer may demand remedy. Insofar as the tour operator was unable to provide a remedy due to the customer’s culpable failure to report a defect, the traveller may neither assert claims for price reduction under § 651m BGB nor claims for damages under § 651n BGB.
The customer is obliged to report any defects immediately to the tour leader at the holiday destination. If no tour leader is present at the destination, any travel defects must be reported to the tour operator at its registered address. The tour leader is commissioned to arrange for remedy where possible, but is not authorised to acknowledge claims.
(2) Setting a Deadline Before Termination
If a customer wishes to terminate the travel contract due to a travel defect, they must first set the tour operator a reasonable deadline to provide a remedy. This does not apply if the tour operator refuses to provide a remedy or if immediate remedy is necessary.
(3) Baggage Damage and Baggage Delays
Damage, loss, misdirection, or delivery delays must be reported immediately on-site to the tour leader.
(4) Travel Documents
The customer must inform the tour operator if they do not receive the required travel documents within the deadline communicated by the tour operator.
§12 Limitation of Liability
(1) The tour operator’s contractual liability for damages that are not personal injuries and were not caused negligently is limited to the single travel price.
(2) No liability is accepted for damage to or loss of bicycles or luggage.
Further claims under international conventions or statutory provisions based thereon remain unaffected.
(3) The tour operator accepts no liability for service disruptions or personal or property damage in connection with services clearly marked as third-party services and separately selected (e.g. mediated sports activities, bicycle hire). §§ 651b, 651c, 651w and 651y BGB remain unaffected. Liability exists where damage is attributable to the tour operator’s breach of duties to inform, advise, or organise.
§13 Assertion of Claims and Limitation Period
(1) Claims under § 651i BGB must be asserted by the customer against the tour operator. Assertion may also be made through the travel agent if the package tour was booked through that agent. Electronic assertion is recommended. Customer claims arising from travel defects are subject to a two-year limitation period. The limitation period begins on the day following the contractual end of the trip.
(2) If negotiations are pending between the customer and the tour operator regarding the claim or the circumstances giving rise to the claim, the limitation period is suspended until the customer or the tour operator refuses to continue negotiations. The limitation period expires no earlier than 3 months after the end of the suspension.
§14 Mediation of Third-Party Services
(1) When booking additional third-party services such as sporting events, bicycle hire, insurance, or admission fees that are not part of the service description, the tour operator is solely liable for the mediation of the third-party service, and not for the provision of the service content.
(2) The General Terms and Conditions and cancellation policies of the respective contractual partner apply.
§15 Insurance
(1) It is recommended to take out travel cancellation insurance and insurance to cover repatriation costs in the event of accident or illness.
§16 Advertising Measures / Branding
(1) Advertising measures not coordinated with the tour operator are prohibited throughout the entire trip and will not be tolerated.
(2) Advertising measures include, among others (non-exhaustive list):
a) Distribution of items (in bulk) printed with company/organisation logos or lettering;
b) Audio or video presentations that mention companies or organisations;
c) Dissemination of information for the purpose of promoting awareness, sales, or the image of companies or organisations;
d) Software applications and video games containing company/organisation logos or lettering, as well as any other measures that could serve to raise the profile or improve the image of companies or organisations.
(3) Pure team branding is excluded, such as uniform jersey branding of an individual team or individual participants.
(4) Also excluded are services and activities carried out by an official sponsor or partner of the respective event and governed by a corresponding sponsorship or partnership agreement.
§17 Animals
(1) Bringing animals is prohibited.
§18 Noise and Environmental Protection
(1) The tour operator actively pursues environmental protection in all areas. This is also expected of all customers.
(2) Compliance with all locally applicable statutory provisions in the area of environmental protection is mandatory. This applies in particular to regulations on waste disposal, soil and water protection, and emissions control.
(3) Throughout the entire trip, noise from loudspeaker-amplified music etc. and running of engines etc. must be avoided. Music must be kept at a reasonable volume and must be entirely ceased upon instruction from the tour operator and between 22:00 and 06:00.
§19 Equipment Regulations
(1) Each customer is personally responsible for ensuring their bicycle is roadworthy. Particular attention must be paid to the functioning of brakes and other safety-relevant components.
(2) A lighting system is required from sunset onwards.
(3) Customers whose bicycle is clearly not roadworthy may be excluded from the tour by the tour operator at any time.
(4) Every type of bicycle that meets the legal requirements is permitted on the trips. Special exceptions (e.g. Velodromes) will be indicated during registration.
(5) Disc wheels are not recommended (crosswind hazard at high speeds).
§20 Route Management
(1) Depending on the type of trip, routes are marked/signposted or otherwise, and run on public or private roads and facilities.
(2) In the case of multi-day trips on public roads, electronic route information in the form of GPX files will be made available for download on the tour operator’s website prior to the trip. For environmental reasons, routes will not generally be provided to customers as paper documents.
(3) Where routes are marked, they must be followed. Otherwise, the provided routes should be understood as a strong recommendation but are not mandatory. Off the recommended routes, however, no support will be provided by the tour operator, nor is any guarantee given for the passability of such routes.
§21 Information on the Consumer Dispute Resolution Act
(1) With regard to the Act on Consumer Dispute Resolution, the tour operator notes that it does not participate in voluntary consumer dispute resolution.
(2) Should consumer dispute resolution become mandatory for the tour operator after publication of these travel conditions, the tour operator will inform the customer accordingly in an appropriate manner.
(3) For all travel contracts concluded via electronic legal transactions, the tour operator refers to the European Online Dispute Resolution platform at https://ec.europa.eu/consumers/odr/.
§22 Brand and Tour Operator
(1) AURELO is a registered trademark of GBI Event GmbH.
(2) The tour operator for all offered tours is:
GBI Event GmbH, Aachener Straße 4b, 41564 Kaarst, Germany
info@aurelocycling.com
www.aurelocycling.com
Commercial Register: Local Court Neuss, HRB 16993
VAT ID: DE288234715
Managing Director: Michael Leuenberger
§23 Final Provisions
(1) German law applies.
(2) The place of jurisdiction for commercial participants is Neuss.