The 27-year-old Red Bull KTM rider from Poole sealed the title with a sixth-place finish in the 12th and final stage which ended in Argentina on Saturday.

Sunderland came home 32 minutes ahead of nearest challenger and Austrian team-mate Matthias Walkner, with Gerard Farres of Spain third overall almost four minutes further back.

This year’s competition was Dubai -based Sunderland’s third attempt at winning here as he previously entered in 2012 and 2014 with Honda, only to retire on each occasion due to mechanical problems.

But victory in the fifth stage this time around handed him the overall lead and he never looked back. He secured the triumph after safely navigating the final stage, a 40-mile race into the town of Rio Cuarto, to hand Red Bull their 16th title in a row.