Scotland’s Mason wears the national jersey as a two-time British champion.
“There’s a big list of Dutch and Belgian names and I’m kind of the joker card that could slip under the radar and do something special,” he told BBC Sport.
Joining Mason in the men’s elite will be Thomas Mein, who previously won the Under-23 event.
Kay of Gateshead is the only Brit in the women’s elite, fresh off the back of her debut British title.
“It gives you confidence in yourself, and I’m happy to wear the jersey with pride. GB cyclo-cross is in a really good place, we have a lot of younger riders moving up,” she said.
One of those is Wales’ Zoe Backstedt in the Under-23 race, who won silver last year and has shown promise both in cross and on the road.
“I don’t have any expectations, it’s my second year pro. If I can go to worlds this year, great. If I can do Europeans, also great. If I can do Olympics, that would be a dream come true,” she said.
