The official TT 2O18 launch took place this evening (Thursday) at the Royal Hall in the Villa Marina.

Many of the star riders - such as John McGuinness, Michael Dunlop and Ian Hutchinson - attended the event, which was hosted by BBC and Eurosport’s Matt Roberts alongside local presenter Dave Moore.

Keep up-to-date with all the announcements on this page and also on Twitter @iomsportsdesk or on the Isle of Man Newspapers Sports desk Facebook page.- Peter Hickman is first on stage who's hoping for more of the same having won the TT Championship last year: 'Was a pretty special year for me with five race starts and five podiums. Everything I sat on went well. Everything is staying the same this year team and bike wise. It’s all looking nice and rosey at the moment.'- Popular Manxman Dan Kneen, who grabbed an impressive podium last year, is confident of more 133mph-plus laps and more success in 2018 with Tyco BMW. 'I don't really like setting goals, I know in my head what I'm capable of so I'm so just going to keep chipping away. Brand new Superbike for this year and so far I feel comfortable and I’m going faster than I have before.'- Ivan Lintin and Martin Jessopp next on stage. Lintin: 'When you land at Ronaldsway it hits you how soon the TT is. One minute it's 10 weeks away, the next you're setting off down Glencrutchery Road on the opening night of practice.Jessopp: 'Last year all I cared about was getting a 130mph lap on a bike that me [and family] built. When I did it, it was the best feeling I've ever had on two wheels!'- The Ramsey Rocket, Conor Cummins gets a good reception as he takes to the stage. 'Last year was an awkward one (with injuries) and one I'd rather forget - riding with a broken wrist was a bit tricky! Padgett's is a great team to be a part of - Bruce (Anstey) and I are on a similar level in terms of how we go about things. I'm keen to get a win and pay back all the people who've supported me over the years.- Popular Yorkshireman Dean Harrison, who will ride for Silicone Engineering Kawasaki, hints at a possible announcement regarding a new bike. Also hoping for a win on a Superbike: 'I want to win the big superbike race. I think my short circuit racing this year will help me achieve this.' Entertaining as always and receives one of the biggest cheers of the night when exiting the stage.- Next up on stage are Gary Johnson and namesake David Johnson. Davi: ‘I’m feeling very confident. It’s the best package I’ve had at the TT so far and I’m feeling good, riding really well at the moment.’Gary: ‘Last year didn’t go well but I couldn’t fault the team at all. I never really set out to do the TT but having see what Guy Martin did, I thought I’d give it a go and I’ve never looked back.’- Mr Consistent, James Hillier, next up to be interviewed by Matt Roberts and Dave Moore: ‘I’ve got a good set up at Kawasaki and a bit of loyalty goes a long way so I didn’t want to change anything. I’m just hoping to go even further this year. I don’t want any excuses this year - it’ll be maximum effort from me as always.’- It’s a full sofa as Manx sidecar stars Dave Molyneux and Dan Sayle are joined on stage by champions Ben and Tom Birchall. Moly/Sayle: ‘The new machine is called the Batcar! We never set out to shave 30kg off the bike, it just sort of happened. We’ve made changes to the outfit so that Dan can lie down - this should spread the weight around and make it more aerodynamic.’Birchalls: ‘We're treated really well over here, everyone loves the TT - there’s a lot of respect. We’ve not made too many changes to the bike, but it’s a double-edged sword.’- What a reception! 23-time TT winner John McGuinness receives the loudest cheer of the night as he takes to the stage with Norton team-mate Josh Brookes (sporting a cracking moustache!).McGuinness: ‘I’ve had a 5kg cage on my leg for 10 months so for me to walk into this stage without it is massive - it’s a massive step forward for me. I thought it was all over for me - I was in a right hole, it was a real tough time. The good people around me helped and slowly I got back to myself a bit. As soon as the pain started to go away, I wanted to get back on the bike. 100% I’ll be on the bike on Glencrutchery Road in May - no doubt about it!’Brookes: ‘I never thought I’d be a team-mate sat here with John McGuinness - I’ve really got a buzz. It was great to hear the news that he was coming on board with Norton.’- Ian Hutchinson, the only man to win 5 TT’s in a single week, also receives a rapturous applause as he comes on stage on crutches. The Bingley Bullet is joined on stage by Honda team-mate Lee Johnston.Hutchy: ‘I’ve managed to spend 4 years out of the last 7 with a frame on my leg and I’ve still managed to win 8 TT’s so I’ll be back again. I was hoping to have the frame off at the end of January so I’m not sure if I’ll be back for this year’s TT. I’m not mentally ready to rave - I’ll be disappointed if I don’t ride but it’ll be ok. I need to have the frame off by the end of April to stand a chance.’Johnston: ‘We had our first test a few weeks ago but, like most teams, we’ve been hit by the bad weather, although we still managed to get one good day of testing out of it. I wanted a really strong team-mate so I’m hoping Hutchy will pull his finger out, drink his milk and get fit.’- The final guest on stage at the TT Launch is the one and only Michael Dunlop, sporting a Guy Martin-esque backpack.MickyD: ‘The bike is funky. It’s something different, some people might not like it but we’ve done it out of our own pocket. It’s a bike I’d build for myself. John McGuinness is happy to ride it - if he’s not fit to ride it though, it’s no skin off my nose. ‘The 600 is ready to rock and roll, I just need a Superbike now. I’m feeling good - this year I’ve made myself as fit as I possibly can. Fitter than I’ve ever been and lighter than ever, so I’m feeling good.’Much more from the TT 2018 launch in next week’s Isle of Man Examiner, on sale Tuesday morning.