Evan Naude got the better of twin brother Riaan to claim honours in the Bank of Bermuda Individual Triathlon in Hamilton yesterday.

Naude, who won the title in 2005, finished ahead of his sibling with a time of 1:01:31, while evergreen Kent Richardson, who performed a barnstorming bike ride, took third spot.

It was a race that saw the leadership frequently change hands with John Legge heading the pack after the swim, before Richardson led the way from Andrew Davis in the cycle stage.

But Evan, pre-race favourite along with his brother, was never too far behind and opened up an unassailable lead in the run, while Riaan edged out Richardson for second place.

"It was a close and competitive race and I was forced to chase from the start," said 31-year-old South African Evan. "I was really worried as John Legge opened up a large gap in the swim, and I was not catching him on the bike. Kent Richardson also overtook me during the cycle stage.

"But I'd a strong run and managed to force my way into the lead. It was certainly an exciting race."

Riaan, who came in with a time of 1:03:14, admitted his brother had managed to edge ahead of him in recent races.

"Evan had a good lead on me in the swim and although it was close at times it turned out to be a comfortable victory for him," he said. "We both had a lot of work do to get to the front of the pack because neither of us are particularly strong swimmers.

"We've been competing against each other since we were 10 years old. I guess I used to have the upper hand but I've been playing catch-up in recent times."

The twins will now turn their attentions to the Escape to Bermuda Triathlon in two weeks, when they will be competing in the Open Division.

Meanwhile, Julia Hawley claimed victory in the women's race ahead of Kim McMullen with a time of 1:09:00, despite having undergone knee surgery in March.

"It was a total surprise for me and I just went out there to have fun as I'm slowly getting back to my best," said 44-year-old Hawley. "I knew Kim McMullen was strong and I managed to hold her off in the run. I won this race back in 1998 so it's great to get my name back on the trophy.

"I'm now focusing on my Half Ironman race in Florida in November, which I had to qualify for. Unfortunately it means I'll be unable to compete in the Escape to Bermuda Triathlon."

Steven Petty, president of Bermuda Triathlon Association, said the excellent weather conditions made for an exciting race.

"We couldn't have asked for better conditions and it was certainly an exciting race," he said. "We had a lot of different leaders depending on the discipline, with John Legge in front after the swim. Then Andrew Davis took the lead for a short while, before Kent Richardson forced his way into the lead with the fastest cycle time. Evan eventually overtook him and Riaan also caught Kent, so it was good to watch."