Cyclist in recovery after being impaled by 2-foot splinter

A typical race turned into a horrific event for Lorenzo Gobbo at the Junior and U23 European Track Championships in Ghent, Belgium.

Gobbo, 17, was seriously injured during the scratch race when he and several riders reportedly crashed at the same time. The impact from one of the bike’s pedals ripped a half-meter long splinter from the track, according to Cycling News.

The splinter unfortunately impaled Gobbo, who was rushed to the hospital with a punctured lung, in the back and through his torso.

WARNING: Graphic image below.

The Italian cyclist is expected to make a full recovery after undergoing three hours of surgery at the Jan Palfijn hospital in Belgium.

Frank Glorieux, director of the Wielerbond Vlaanderen race track, says Gobbo is in good spirits despite the severity of the injury.

"I just visited him again," Glorieux said, according to Cycling News. "He is on intensive care. He has not had the best night, but he has no fever and is progressing well. There is a chance that he may go to a normal room tomorrow.

"He said he would have won rather than make the newspapers this way. He could still laugh, but he doesn't want to ride on the track for the time being. He should recover completely, but there is a long recovery time ahead for him."