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Evans has lead on Tour de France rest day

LANNEMEZAN, France, July 15 (UPI) -- Australian Cadel Evans owns the slimmest of overall leads as the 2008 Tour de France nears its halfway point.

Tuesday was one of two rest days for the Tour de France cyclists, who have completed 10 of the race's 21 stages. They also have next Monday off before the final six stages take them into Paris for the July 27 conclusion.

Evans survived a fall in Sunday's 10th stage and finished high enough Monday to claim the leader's yellow jersey by 1 second over Luxembourg's Frank Schleck. Christian Vande Velde of the United States is third 38 seconds off Evan's pace followed by Austrian Bernard Kohl, 46 seconds behind Evans, and Russian Denis Menchov, who is 57 seconds back.

"I'm only in the lead by a very small margin but, tactically, every second counts," Evans said Monday. "It's a long way to the finish and our goal has always been to have the yellow jersey in Paris. But as we saw yesterday, anything can happen in this race."

Wednesday's Stage 11 is a 100.5-mile route across southern France from Lannemezan to Foix. The ride includes a Category 1 climb about two-thirds of the way through the race and two Category 3 climbs.

P. Manning has medical procedure on knee

INDIANAPOLIS, July 15 (UPI) -- Indianapolis Colts quarterback Peyton Manning underwent a medical procedure on his left knee and will miss nearly all of preseason training.

Manning had an infected bursa sac removed his left knee in an operation Monday. The team said the quarterback had been receiving "conservative treatment" for the inflammation since February.

When Manning reported an increase in pain and showed signed of infection, it was decided to remove the sac.

Colts team President Bill Polin issued a statement saying Manning would be out 4-6 weeks. If he was out six weeks, Manning would return Aug. 26, two days before the Colts' final exhibition game and 10 days before the regular-season opener against Chicago.

Manning has never missed a regular-season start in 10 seasons in the NFL. His 94.7 passer rating is second all-time behind Steve Young (96.8). He is an eight-time Pro Bowl selection and has passed for 41,626 yards and 306 touchdowns in his career.

Feds reportedly probing La. racing group

NEW ORLEANS, July 15 (UPI) -- Federal investigators are reportedly looking into possible misconduct in the group that represents Louisiana racehorse owners and trainers.

The New Orleans Times-Picayune, citing two sources, said that the alleged wrongdoing in the Louisiana Horsemen's Benevolent and Protective Association includes misuse of donations intended to help owners and trainers after the 1995 hurricanes and rigging of internal elections.

The association is funded through a 6 percent tax on purses, which last year, that came to $5.3 million. The group also pays out the purses and does other bookkeeping chores at tracks.

Sean Alfortish, the association's president, told the newspaper he hasn't received official notice of an investigation. He said that after hearing rumors of a probe he asked a criminal lawyer to find out whether federal investigators needed information from him and has heard nothing more.

Con men target African soccer players

LAGOS, Nigeria, July 15 (UPI) -- Nigerian con men rake in thousands of dollars by posing as soccer talent scouts and preying on African teen athletes, the BBC reported Tuesday.

The British broadcaster says it had a reporter pose as the father of a young Ghanaian player looking to make it big with an English Premier League soccer team. After the reporter posted his "son's" resume online, he was contacted a man who claimed to represent Manchester United and boasted that he worked closely with United Manager Alex Ferguson.

The undercover reporter met with a man calling himself "Dr. Frank Johnson" during which he produced a fake registration form and demanded a $7,000 "registration fee." The meeting was halted when a BBC camera crew, who were secretly taping the meeting, made themselves known.

The man was questioned by a Nigerian policeman who provided security for the sting operation, the BBC said.

The English Football Association told the BBC that it's working with other leagues to stop the soccer scamming, saying, "The FA investigated the complaints and passed on our findings to the relevant law enforcement agencies, whom we continue to liaise with and assist in relation to these matters."

Babe Ruth cap fetches $328K at auction

NEW YORK, July 15 (UPI) -- A baseball cap worn by New York Yankees legend Babe Ruth fetched $328,000 at a pre-All Star Game auction Tuesday in New York.

The sweat-stained cap, one of three Ruth-worn caps known to exist, was purchased by an anonymous phone bidder, the New York Post reported. The cap had been expected to go for between $150,000 and $200,000.

The auction was conducted at New York's Javits Center in the run-up to Tuesday night's Major League Baseball All-Star Game at Yankee Stadium, a landmark also known as the House That Ruth Built. The stadium is to be demolished at the conclusion of this season and replace by a new facility next door.

The Post said the auction's prospectus explained the cap was made by Spalding in the 1920s or 1930s and has the Yankees' iconic "NY" logo on the front, adding that Ruth's initials, "G.H.," for George Herman (Babe) Ruth, are embroidered inside.