English national champion John Tanner was first across the line in Enniscorthy, Welshman Julian Winn retained the overall lead, but the story of yesterday's seventh stage of the FBD Milk Ras was the courageous attempt by Mayo rider David O'Loughlin to reclaim the yellow jersey.

The 22-year-old slipped from the top of the leaderboard on Thursday, but made his intentions clear after just one of the 94 miles had elapsed yesterday.

O'Loughlin determinedly broke free as the race moved away from Mitchelstown, and, with 11 others, quickly established a decisive lead over Winn, Wayne Randle and Mark Lovatt, the first three overall who were stranded in the main bunch.

Working smoothly together, the dozen covered 29 miles in the first hour, mainly under the impetus of O'Loughlin, Tanner, and Ireland-International Cargo Services rider Tommy Evans.

Also present in the speeding selection were the Scots, Roddy Riddle and Philip Brown, Gregor Willwohl of the German Telecom team, Haymish Haymes of GB Pricket, Swede Mattias Carlsson and the Irish riders J P Hilliard, Adrian Hedderman, Eddy O'Donoghue and former national champion Ray Clarke.

The gap over a Welsh-led main bunch grew steadily and by Carrick-on-Suir, O'Loughlin had a sufficient advantage to have become race-leader on the road.

French-based Aidan Duff saw his yellow jersey aspirations evaporate on Thursday with mechanical trouble, and midway through yesterday's stage was forced to retire from the race with a knee injury.

Onward over undulating roads through Pilltown, Moincoin and Mullinavat, and the pendulum swung. From a high of almost three minutes, the advantage began to be eroded as the Surrey and Pro-Vision teams combined with Winn's squad to close the gap.

Tanner crossed the line first with Ray Clarke second and O'Loughlin was left to rue what might have been.

"We went from the gun, really. Myself, Tommy (Evans), Roddy (Riddle) and one of his teammates rode really hard, but all the Irish riders were sitting on. If they had worked, all they had to do was tap through, they would have been going for a stage," he said with clear disappointment.

With today's penultimate stage through the Wicklow mountains posing the only realistic chance of making up the two and half minutes on Winn, O'Loughlin was clear what has to be done.

"I will go all out again. That is what I have to do. It will be much harder, and I don't think it will be as easy to get a chase organised."