Leading Off

[This story consists only of photographs -see below.]

COLOR PHOTO: PHOTOGRAPH BY HEINZ KLUETMEIER Flight BathBrendan Hansen was airborne but water-bound at the start of themen's 200-meter breaststroke finals at the U.S. Olympic Trials inLong Beach, Calif., on July 11 (page 78). Hansen won the event in2:09.04, setting a world record.

COLOR PHOTO: PHOTOGRAPH BY FRANCK FAUGERE/DPPI Lucky Thirteen Lance Armstrong, riding for the U.S. Postal Service, leads thepack during stage 13 of the Tour de France. Armstrong went on towin that stage and was second overall as of Monday (page 18).

THREE COLOR PHOTOS: PHOTOGRAPHS BY JIM STAFFORD/LAT PHOTOGRAPHIC Hot Wheels NASCAR driver Dale Earnhardt Jr. lies on the ground afterescaping from his burning car following a crash during warmupsfor a LeMans Series race at the Infineon Raceway in Sonoma,Calif., last Saturday. Earnhardt was rushed to the hospital withsecond-degree burns but will return to action this weekend.