Being a Cornerman
The positioned rider is now the cornerman. He should acknowledge the lead’s instruction with a wave, then decide the smartest place to stop. If at an intersection, he should point his bike in the direction the group must go, while keeping it out of the flow of traffic and away from danger. Over-shoots, over-braking and inattention are common, so he should consider these when pulling up.
The cornerman should also be clearly visible to approaching riders from a distance ample for them to come to a halt or corner safely. This may mean walking back around a blind corner, or placing the bike further back up the track. If he wants riders to slow down he should signal with a patting down motion of his hand. If he wants them to stop he should hold his hand up. Signals should be given early and clearly. If there is any doubt about the direction of travel, the cornerman should point the way.
If a rider misses a turn and goes off in the wrong direction, the cornerman must not leave his corner. Instead, he should wait for the next rider and then make a decision about whether to wait for the sweep, who is really the man in control, or send a rider after the bozo who shot through.
The cornerman never leaves his corner. It doesn’t matter if it starts to rain, gets dark, or that there’s a netball match on 150 metres up the road. He must stay in position until the sweep arrives, which may be hours if someone has been injured. This is vital. Cornermen are the links in the chain and if one breaks the whole group can be scattered. To counter this, if a rider reaches an intersection without a cornerman on it, he should stop there and wait for someone to find him. Do not head back against the flow of the group. Do not wander around the bush leaving tracks everywhere and getting further off the route. Stop and wait.
Cornermen can greatly aid the flow of a ride if they are ready to move as soon as the sweep is in sight. Recently released cornermen should warn those still on corners that the sweep is on his way, so that helmets can be on and bikes idling. Dawdling on corners kills time badly, so when the sweep turns up, look for his wave that releases you, and get moving. If there is no wave, he will want you to wait, probably to help with a problem.