By Susan Westemeyer
Patrik Sinkewitz is facing more legal problems. One of his former personal sponsors is suing him for damages. Förstina, which produces mineral water and other drinks, had an advertising contract with Sinkewitz since 2004, which it cancelled when the former T-Mobile Team rider tested positive for testosterone.
"Förstina invested money in someone who claimed to ride clean, but didn't do it," the firms' attorney, Christian Schmitt told the dpa press agency. "Because of that, the firm has suffered damages, which must now be paid for."
The company said that it had had to cancel an advertising campaign featuring Sinkewitz which it had only started in April 2007. "We are not trying to prove that he damaged our image. That would be difficult to prove. We just want repayment for the unusable advertising campaign," said Förstina's head of marketing, Peter Seufert. "We have good chances to win our case." Attempts to negotiate a settlement out of court had failed, it was noted.
The 26 year-old Sinkewitz was disappointed by the action. "It is sad that a firm with which I have worked for many years now tries to finish me off publicly." He called the suit "absolute negative publicity for the firm, adding, "I don't know whether that is good for their image."
