4 of the 10 shortest tours ever are since 2000. When you realize that the 3 shortest ever were 1903-1905 and for '03 and '04 there were only 6 stages resulting of an average stage length of just over 404 kms. '05 haf 11 stages. For a long spell the tour was in hte area of 5400-5700 kms. Now it is 3400-3500.

So yea it has gotten shorter, both in total and per stage.