first-lap

Following a first-lap surge by Sue Butler (Hudz-Subaru), Compton settled into her usual place at the front of the race.

Katie Compton crushes in kickoff to Greenware U.S. Gran Prix of Cyclocross 2010

The new UHC signee closed his most successful cyclocross season yet with a disappointing 15th at the U.S. cyclocross national championships after a first-lap crash took him out of contention.

UnitedHealthcare’s Chris Jones goes from domestique to GC threat at Langkawi 2011

Ryan Trebon (Kona-FSA) overcame a first-lap mishap and powered his way back to a win at Cross Crusade #3 Sunday in Oregon.

Trebon and Pennington prevail at Cross Crusade #3 2010

And for the women, a first-lap bobble by Natasha Elliott in a sand pit gave a charging Georgia Gould a gap that grew to nearly two minutes at the finish.

Johnson and Gould leave the competition in the dust at Louisville USGP 2010

However, Miller quickly made it clear that she was the strongest woman of the weekend — she took advantage of the first-lap scrum to open a five-second gap and was never caught again.

Tim Johnson, Meredith Miller take day 2 at Providence Cyclocross Festival 2010

… It could be a first-lap situation for one of these drivers, and that ' s it, it ' s over.

Racing Toward the Wildest Finish in History A.J. Baime 2010

A first-lap carambolage at Sainte-Dévote is the rule rather than the exception, although not always as lurid as the one that occurred in 1980, when the Tyrrell of the Irish driver Derek Daly flew through the air and landed on top of the sister car of Jean-Pierre Jarier, without injury to either man.

Monaco grand prix: The race where heroes are made 2010

The only American in the race, Christine Vardaros Baboco-Revor, rallied from a series of first-lap crashes to a 19th-place finish.

Sanne van Paassen wins women’s race at Asper-Gavere Superprestige 2010

Jimmy was in the first ten; that was all that mattered, that, and his first-lap time.

Fiddler Fair Lackey, Mercedes 1998

I always take a mental snapshot of this first-lap moment because it's the most picturesque scene in motor sports, the equivalent of a Van Gogh still life for those addicted to speed.

SI.com 2011