Quick-Step-manager Patrick Lefevere held true to his promise to sue the Belgian newspaper Het Laatste Nieuws, the newspaper which linked him to doping practices, and its journalist Maarten Michielssens, the author of the article, for over 20 million euros. The civil case will be introduced on March 16 in the Brussels court, according to the Belgian press agency Belga.
Lefevere is reportedly suing for three million in personal damage and 17.5 million commercial damage. According to Lefevere's lawyer Chris Declerck, the article, headlined "Patrick Lefevere - 30 years of doping" led to the loss of a sponsor that was ready to commit to four to six years at 3.5 million euros per year, but the sponsor pulled out after the articles were released.
